


Rings a Bell

by klarolineagainnaturally



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV), The Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 62
Words: 53,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27161254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klarolineagainnaturally/pseuds/klarolineagainnaturally
Summary: This is a collection of Klaroline drabbles written from requests on Tumblr (starting from 2018)! Length varies for each drabble!
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 181
Kudos: 151





	1. Pumpkin-g

**THATLILGHOSTFROMTHEDARK ASKED:**

**Caroline wants to wear matching costumes but Klaus is haveing none of it but since he knows that would make her happy he does ^^**

* * *

“Come on,” she sang, swaying her hips teasingly as she held a plastic crown that adorned small decorative pumpkins on each point.

Klaus glared and stepped back, “No. I have had quite enough of this, love. I already put on this ridiculous one-piece for you.”

There he was: stood in the middle of their living room with a ghastly amount of orange fabric encasing his upper body. She, too, was wearing a matching costume, but was much more delighted to model it.

“Pshh…it’s so not ridiculous,” she bared her teeth in a smile to reassure the sulking hybrid before pouting as best as she could, “Besides, Elena keeps bragging about her and Damon’s costume contest entry and I refuse to let her win with her stupid salt and pepper!”

Klaus rolled his eyes, a playfulness tugging at his lips. His girlfriend was seriously pushing it lately with the Halloween decorating, but now, he was also a prop.

Yet, seeing her bouncing gently on her feet with the sweetest of expressions, and not to mention the swathe of matching orange fabric hugging her body, he could not resist.

With a sigh, he bowed his head in acceptance. Caroline immediately placed the two dollar accessory on top and clapped as he returned to an upright position.

She giggled profusely at the cute little pumpkin crown on his head, attempting to stifle it with her hand to no avail.

“Very dashing…my Pump-king.”

The mighty hybrid only groaned in response.


	2. Not the Case

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**KC+ Established!couple, canon or otherwise, one of them thinking the other is dead and seeing their shock when they discover that’s not the case ? Sorry if this is totally confusing**

* * *

Caroline rushed with vampire speed to the opposite end of the bridge, no care for leaving Bonnie by herself. She had seen him. Klaus Mikaelson. In the flesh. Just standing there with that goofy, charming smile on his face.

Her flashing across stopped dead in front of him no closer than five inches away. She could not believe her eyes, even as she brushed her delicate fingers against his stubbly jawline.

“Hello, love,“ he greeted with a crooked smile.

The shocked blonde viewed his features with wide eyes. His lip was healing from a deep wound, and the dark circles around his eyes were most prominent in the sunlight. He leaned in slightly as her finger touched the crack in his lip.

Her bewildered eyes became darkened with anger. She was furious. Using what strength she had, she hit against his chest with both hands.

“What the hell, Klaus?! I thought–”

“I know,” he answered, holding her arms firmly in place against him.

“You were just–”

“I know.”

“And they were–”

He sighed, wrapping his arm around the back of her waist, and pulled her into a rough kiss. His injured lip was of no importance as he took her in, allowing her to reciprocate with equal force. Like clockwork, her hands had shifted from firmly grasping his chest to making their way to his messy hair.

“Guys?! I’m right here,” Bonnie complained loudly as she made her way to meet them.

Caroline shyly pulled away, her eye contact with him refusing to conclude their staring match. Her mind was filled with questions, and she still felt a rush of anger over his nonchalance.

“I hate you,” she proclaimed, unable to move from his grasp.

"I know.”


	3. Exception

**THATLILGHOSTFROMTHEDARK ASKED:**

**Drabble about Caroline telling Klaus she is pregnant with his mystical baby but he freaking out bc she is a vampire...... THANKS**

* * *

“Okay, keep calm, Caroline. You are a strong vampire. You kick ass on the daily. You can handle something like this!” she repeated the mantra over and over as she stared intensely at the floor, pacing across the large bedroom.

“Talking to yourself again, love? I did hear that it’s the in thing now.”

She was startled by his sudden appearance at the door frame. Her eyes fluttered nervously as she turned towards him.

“Hey. I think you should sit,” her voice was firm, but her eyes told another story.

“I would rather not,” Klaus replied, folding his arms in a serious manner.

The blonde huffed, locking her eyes with the man she had been sleeping with for the last few months. 

“Please.”

He looked at the genuine fear in her deep blue eyes and swallowed in submission.

“Of course.”

Klaus sat at the edge of the bed, interlocking his fingers in wait of her words.

“I don’t know how to say this… You’re gonna…I don’t know,” she groaned, pressing her hands to her cheeks.

“Hey,” he quickly rose from his position, taking her hands away from her face to hold them securely, “I’m over a thousand years old, love. Not much shocks me anymore.”

“I’m pregnant,” she confessed abruptly.

“…I think we may have found the exception.”

His jaw was dropped and showing no signs of lifting any time soon. Slipping away from her, he rubbed his forehead in confusion.

“How is that possible? You’re a vampire?”

“I don’t know! It’s your mystical hybrid penis that did this to me!” she ranted, flailing her arms about as she walked to the other side of the room.

“Well, your mystical vampire eggs were fertilised by my mystical hybrid penis, love!” he retorted, arms raised.

“Please don’t say ‘fertilise’, Klaus,” she said with a disgusted face.

“Is that honestly your biggest problem right now?!” he asked with urgency, running his fingers through his hair, “Are you sure you’re pregnant?”

“Morning sickness and sore breasts, plus doctor magic herself Bonnie tested me,” Caroline informed him with a sigh.

“Bloody hell…”

“Bloody hell indeed.”


	4. Hope

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Drabble where our carebear is Hope's mom. Like she give birth to her. 😄😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘**

* * *

Her harrowing screams could be heard all throughout the house. It had begun at the stroke of midnight. The mystical vampire baby was now, in fact, a reality for the pair of them. Even as her bump grew to the point she could not see her toes, Klaus avoided the subject entirely. It had to be false. Eventually, he decided to hide out in his mansion for the last two weeks of the ordeal.

There was no time to question now, however, as the baby was practically trying to leap out of the womb and into the crazy world they were in. Elena had rushed Klaus into the basement, where they had set up their very own vampire hospital room.

He stumbled down the creaky wooden stairs, looking like a deer in the headlights when confronted with a distressed woman on the large, blue hospital bed.

“I take it the hospital is missing one bed. Poor Tiny Tim will have to wait another year for his surgery, love,” he attempted to joke as he looked at the girl in the bed.

“Where…the… **HELL** HAVE YOU BEEN?!” Caroline screamed, the fabric of the bed bunched up within her fists.

He quickly rushed to her side, taking one of her hands into his own.

“That joke was in poor taste. My apologies,” his eyes lowered, only glancing up for sign of forgiveness.

“You better shut your damn mouth, you weird baby creating hybrid!”

His mouth was shut just like that.

“You’re doing great,” Bonnie assured her at the end of the bed, “I see a head…pretty big one actually.”

“Oh god! It’s going to be a narcissist like its father,” she groaned in between forced breaths.

Klaus raised an eyebrow, “I will take that as a compliment.”

“You shouldn’t,” she said with bite, clamping on his hand with her own.

His jaw tensed but he kept an uneasy smile.

“Wow, Blondie. You look like hell,” an approaching Damon came from the stairway.

“Shut up, Damon!” the soon-to-be parents roared in unison.

“Just a little more!” Elena squeaked. Bonnie was at the ready.

Caroline shared her painful expression with the hybrid beside her. She wanted to give up right then and there. ‘That’s all folks’ she would say and pack up everything before leaving to get a glass of rosé. Klaus finally looked at her with the sympathy she desired. His eyes scanned over her tired body, landing on her own eyes with worry.

He leaned in to kiss her forehead, “You can do this.”

“You freaking suck!” she spat before giving her last, excruciating push.

“So I’ve been told, love.”

“Ahh!” the two girls screamed excitedly opposite them.

“It’s a girl!” Elena exclaimed, helping to cut the umbilical cord as the baby cried.

Caroline looked up with tired, yet happy, expectancy.

“A girl? Oh my gosh,” she sighed in relief.

“Would you have abandoned the child otherwise?” Klaus inquired in amusement.

“Have you SEEN yourself?” the blonde looked at him plainly. She then welcomed the newborn into her arms as Bonnie passed her over. The baby was so tiny and fragile. Even Klaus had to admit falling in love with the little thing at first glance.

“Hope…” she muttered to herself.

“That’s such a cute name,” Elena complimented, moving around the bed to join the new parents, “Why Hope?”

“Because I was pushing and pushing…but all I could think was…”

They all watched her with expectant eyes. Clearly, whatever the reason was, it would be the most profound.

With a deep breath she said, “I hope Klaus will shut up soon.”


	5. Crayons

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Klaus as a drug lord and Caroline is his wife, thank you! x**

* * *

The weather was humid, and the sounds of tropical birds were abundant from outside the wide open, arched window. Caroline loathed the incessant tweeting and twittering from the irritating alarm clocks of nature. She groaned, rolling over in the bed, and her mess of curls struggled to keep at bay as she sat up.

The days had grown longer, and the stylish life out in the middle of nowhere of Panama had started to take its toll. She was in serious need of some ‘rancid’ diner coffee as her husband so put. The only television she was able to have was all in Spanish. Caso Cerrado, a show that seemed to be the Spanish equivalent of Judge Judy, was her usual go to. That and the fabulously dramatic telenovelas that, if drugs were added, would mirror her life perfectly.

Her alarm to remind her of the show Amor Eterno was ringing, and she immediately sprung into action, searching for the remote control. She kept it with her bras at all times. If Klaus were able to choose the shows, he would have them watching humourless documentaries…or worse: the news.

She huffed out of frustration, finding art supplies wrapped in her silk garments within the drawer.

“Are you serious?”

Caroline stepped out the room, covering her baby pink slip with her black, chiffon dressing gown.

“Klaus!” she shouted as she stormed down into the drawing room.

“So, Joshua, you can tell me where you got the fakes, and I’ll do the kind thing by telling you which limbs you get to keep,” his smirk was present as he watched the young boy squirm.

“I swear, Klaus, I had know idea!” Joshua stammered, his eyes darting between the two muscle-bound men behind.

“You mean to tell me that you oversaw the production of three trucks’ worth of cocaine, but you had ‘no idea’ that someone had infiltrated the lines?” 

“It’s the truth, Kl–”

“Klaus!” Caroline stormed in, her dressing gown flowing with her walk, “Can you stop leaving your crayons around the house! And where is the remote?!”

Klaus’ stone face turned into one of embarrassment as the young blonde, placed her hands on her hips. He interlocked his fingers and pressed his two index fingers to his lips.

“Caroline love, I am a little busy, and they are not crayons; they are oil pastels.”

“Crayons, oil pastels, whatever,” she shrugged, whining as she noticed the scene of the room, “Can’t you do your drug lord business another time? I’m bored.”

His jaw tensed as she slipped to his side, leaning against his French Baroque arm chair.

“I’m afraid not, love. You see, Joshua here has been working to destroy my credibility with poor imitations of our products, and I am currently deciding which limb I’ll ask Alistair to remove from him,” he informed her, his fingers drumming against the hardwood desk.

Caroline frowned, glancing at Alistair who stood by the right marble column.

“Don’t be so dramatic, Klaus,” she rolled her eyes, “I’m sure he didn’t mean it, and I don’t think Alistair really wants to hurt the kid anyways.”

Alistair shared an uncomfortable glance but looked away as soon as Klaus’ glare was directed at him.

“What will it take for you to leave me with my bad guy dealings in peace?” he asked, reaching to grasp her chin delicately.

Her pout shifted into a grin, “You can tell me where the remote is so I can watch my telenovelas, and then you can come to bed.”

His lips twisted decisively, before he retrieved the controls from his side drawer, “Give me five minutes.”

He held them out to her, and she nodded with a sweet smile as she ripped the remote control from his hand. She skipped gleefully out of the room, rushing to watch her favourite show.

Klaus stood from his chair to address Joshua, the tips of his fingers resting on the desk, “Today’s your lucky day, mate. You only get to lose one finger.”


	6. Parental Spat

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**I superloved the fic where Caroline is Hope's mama. Could you make like in that episode of the originals where Klaus and hayley have a huge fight over Hope but they both shut up when they see their baby girl starts to walk. But in the universe where caroline is hope's mom. 😊😊😊**

* * *

“You can’t compel the babysitter just because you don’t think she gives Hope enough attention!” she scolded Klaus, wagging her finger. Her serious tone only had Klaus amused.

“Well, clearly little Tiffany is being given extra attention; she’s walking and talking already!” he rationalised, tapping his finger against his folded in arm.

“As much as I wish I could shut her mother’s face up with her whole ‘oh Tiffany can say mommy AND daddy’ bragging, I can’t,” she said, imitating the annoying housewife to which Klaus chuckled.

“If only you had a magical ability to…I don’t know…make her stop,” he shrugged, speaking sarcastically.

“An ability that is wrong to use!” she pressed on, a slight whine appearing in her voice.

“Are you going to stomp your feet now, love?”

“Don’t be such a child!”

“I only lead by example,” he answered, rolling his hand to her in a royal fashion.

She stared for a long moment, only stopping to scoff at the the father of her child.

“You are frustratingly annoying!” she attempted to play his game of insults.

“You didn’t say that last week in bed, love,” he threw back with expert timing, smirk evident.

“Wow,” she laughed humourlessly, looking away in disbelief.

He simply kept his gaze on her, happy that he had won their petty argument. She was not done, however.

“And another thing!”

“Yeah?” he challenged.

In their semi-heated argument, they had not noticed little Hope at the other end of the room. She pushed her little feet into the ground and rose up, padding towards the pair.

“I think tha–“ her jaw froze mid-speech as her eyes landed on her daughter.

“What? What is it that you think, Caroline love?” he asked bitterly.

“Shush– Hope!” she crouched down, smiling widely at the little girl, “You’re walking!”

Bewildered, Klaus followed her attention to the milestone that was met before him. He crouched down, holding his arms out to her.

“Come to mum and dad,” he smiled brightly.

Hope giggled and wobbled along towards them.

Caroline looked absentmindedly at Klaus, her lips curving happily at his focus. He took his daughter into his arms excitedly once she had reached them. It took a moment, but he noticed the blonde staring and shared her smile.

“Sorry, he mumbled, reluctant to admit his wrongdoing.

“It’s okay,” she sighed contently, admiring Klaus’ interaction with Hope.

“Although…if I had not compelled the babysitter, this might not have ha–“

“Don’t.”


	7. A Trip to the Afterlife

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**hellooo. So glad you are doing drabbles. Could you do something where Klaus and Caroline momentarily die. And while they are dead they meet Caroline parents and Bill forbes is so pissed and all like 'seriously caroline?Klaus freaking Mikaelson?' and Liz did not see that coming.**

* * *

Caroline shot up, gasping for air and for clarity as she found herself lying on the floor of her bedroom. She scrambled to her feet, feeling a slight wobble, but she was quickly intercepted by the warm arms of her mission partner.

“It’s okay, love. I’ve got you,” Klaus murmured into her ear before slowly turning her around to face him. “I’m glad you could join me in the afterlife. I was beginning to worry.”

She felt like her brain was lagging as it took a moment to respond, a quiet laugh escaping her lips.

“What do you mean? It’s every girl’s _dream_ to die beside her boyfriend during a Wiccan ritual! How could I _ever_ reconsider?” she rolled her eyes, her voice light as she pushed gently against his chest.

He bared his teeth in a grin, “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

Her view was a little hazy, and it took a moment gather her bearings and the situation at hand. Klaus’ appearance was rather unsettling as it felt like she was staring at two overlaying and slightly out of sync copies of him. Being dead (well, semi-dead) was just as Bonnie said it would be: dream-like.

_“Drink this,” Bonnie ordered, handing the pair two vials of blue liquid. “It’ll keep you from fully crossing over and should give you enough time to get the answers.”_

_Caroline and Klaus shared an uneasy glance but clinked their respective vials before downing them. It was absolutely disgusting. They both instinctively shuddered as the liquid hit their taste-buds._

_“Could you not have flavoured them with your witch capabilities?” Klaus asked flatly. “You can send us into the afterlife but you’re unable to add some strawberry flavouring?”_

_“Not exactly on the top of my list of priorities,” Bonnie answered sourly before holding a serious expression. “It’ll take effect in a few minutes. Have you guys ever experienced a false awakening? It’s like that.”_

_Caroline quirked an eyebrow, “Like…when you dream about waking up?”_

_Bonnie nodded and continued, “You won’t be fully dead so…it’s gonna seem a little weird until you adjust.”_

_“How weird?”_

_“At worst, it’ll feel like you’re on acid, but it should subside quickly.”_

_“Remind me why we’re sending Blondie **and** her My Little Hybrid for this? We can’t exactly afford to lose both of them if this goes wrong,” Damon interjected, leaning against Caroline’s wardrobe._

_Caroline held a snicker, watching Klaus grumble at the comment._

_“Watch it, mate. I just might have to–”_

_Abruptly, his upper half crashed into the previously prepared pillows around them._

_“One down,” Damon smirked._

_“Don’t you have anywhere better to be?” Caroline folded her arms, looking like a child as she sat with her legs crossed._

_“Don’t you? Shouldn’t you be following his dying act?”_

_Her eyes widened and she looked at Bonnie for guidance, but she shrugged. You couldn’t begin to decipher the way some spells and potions worked as each person reacted differently._

_Caroline sighed, taking the opportunity to manoeuvre Klaus into a more comfortable position. It was only then that she felt her own body taking over to bring her into afterlife._

_“How sweet,” Damon commented as he admired the couple’s intertwined position._

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” Klaus asked, concern dripping from his voice as he cupped her cheeks.

“Yeah,” she said with a shallow breath, “I feel like my body is still adjusting, but we need to make a move.”

He nodded, kissing her gently on the forehead and feathering kisses along her cheek. She couldn’t help but giggle and push him back, yet still clinging on to his shirt.

“Maybe ghost sex will help the adjustment?” he suggested, his tone both laced with humour and truth.

“No!” she squeaked but placed her lips on his gently, welcoming his tongue to wet her lips, but soon enough they were ripped apart as the bedroom door swung open to reveal the person she was wildly unprepared to see.

“Mom!” she exclaimed, hand still gripped on the fabric covering Klaus’ stomach. It was like she was a teenager again and being caught with a boy by her sheriff mother was her biggest worry.

Liz Forbes was stood in the doorway, jaw dropped and a bat hanging from her hand.

“Caroline…” she could barely make out the words, unable to comprehend no matter how much she looked at her daughter. “What…”

As it sank in, Caroline finally absorbed the realisation that she was seeing her mother for the first time in years since she had passed away. The memories of her funeral and Caroline’s subsequent choice to turn off her humanity flooded in through her eyes.

“Mom,” she sighed out shakily, rushing forward to hug her mother who reciprocated happily albeit still processing the moment, “I-I-I have so much I need to tell you about– to ask you– oh god– the letter– I–”

Klaus was soon placing a hand on the small of Caroline’s back.

“Love,” he began with a warm, yet firm, tone, “We need to focus on the task.”

The blonde nodded fervently, attempting to shake any distracting thoughts away. She backed away from her mother, who she couldn’t help but note as looking radiant regardless of the setting. Klaus immediately intertwined his fingers with her and squeezed her hand in a bid to calm her.

“What are you doing here?” Liz finally spoke with more assurance but wavered as she saw their hands linked and recalled the position she had found them in, “The both of you– and you were just– Caroline?”

“Cavorting–”

Klaus was halted with a smack to the chest.

“Mom,” she interrupted cautiously, “Klaus is my…boyfriend.”

She glanced at him, frowning at the smirk on his face.

“Well, I mean…” Liz pursed her lips, “Considering he’s tried to kill you and your friends a million times, I’m a little surprised, but I’m more concerned with why you’re here.”

“Oh, it was barely a thousand,” he muttered but retreated as he received a glare from both of the Forbes women.

“That doesn’t matter,” Caroline began, ignoring her mother’s amused eyebrow raise, “Do you know where dad is?”

“Your father?”

“He has some information that we need about an amulet. We need your help to find him.”

Liz had missed her daughter’s puppy-like eyes whenever she needed something from her. It had felt like an eternity since she had seen her daughter but she looked exactly the same despite the clearly updated wardrobe.

With a sigh, Liz nodded in understanding, “I can take you to him.”

* * *

Caroline’s mother had taken them to her father’s cabin, explaining that he rarely left unless absolutely necessary. It seemed that death wasn’t enough to breathe some life into Bill Forbes’ serious persona. On the way, Liz pressed further about the details of Caroline and Klaus’ relationship and when shut down, insisted she had a right to know and a need for some entertainment in her afterlife. Klaus was more than happy to take the reins in explaining their most recent history.

“Okay, this is it,” Liz slowed the car as they met the meticulously well-groomed cabin before them, allowing them to get out. “Caroline, please don’t get your hopes up. He’s been a bit testy even with my death.”

Her daughter nodded resolutely, “Got it. Wait here.”

Klaus began to step forward but she held a palm to his chest.

“You too.”

“Caroline,” he said concernedly, tilting his head.

“I need to do this alone. Besides, you and Mom can do some bonding,” she joked and shared a laugh with her mother who stood behind them.

He nodded, pressing his lips together in defeat.

Caroline took no time knocking and simply jimmied the door open, wandering in with a focus on finding her father. The front room looked just as it had the last time she was in the cabin and it had been a long time. It had been even longer since she’d seen Bill Forbes, and their last interactions weren’t particularly happy memories for her.

“Care Bear.”

She gasped quietly, finding him sat on the couch nearest to the fireplace.

“Dad.”

“I’m assuming this is a short visit. Unless–”

She shook her head and he rose from his seat, coming to meet her near the entrance. It was no surprise his voice perked up in the thought of her demise; he would rather her dead than a vampire.

“We’re only here for a short visit. You have information we need.”

“We? You’re not alone.”

She swallowed nervously, trying to keep on topic, “We don’t have a lot of time.”

“Well, who is it?” he smiled, rushing to the driveway, “Bonnie? Elena?”

He cleared his throat as he found his answer, Caroline biting her lip as her gaze connected with Klaus’.

“Liz,” he greeted with indignation.

“Bill,” she responded with much the same feeling.

Klaus went to hold a hand out, signature dimpled smile on display, “Klaus.”

He soon turned his attention to the unforgettable face of the hybrid, body tensing into a defensive stance.

“I know who you are. You don’t forget the man who ruined the lives of countless people including mine and my daughter’s boyfriend,” he spat, recalling his attempt to help Tyler break the sire bond, an act that indirectly led to his demise.

“Hardly a loss considering,” Klaus argued back, but bit his tongue immediately as he saw Caroline’s unimpressed reaction.

Bill seemed to accept that as a challenge, puffing his chest out as he moved closer.

Caroline quickly moved to stand in front of Klaus, her hand naturally taking its place around his wrist.

“What is _he_ doing here with you, Caroline?”

He was less intimidating after all her years as a vampire, but she still felt the assertive tone in her father’s voice.

“We need your help. We need to know where the Amulet of Tamar is. We know the Council had it.”

“Which still begs the question ‘why is _**he**_ here?’.”

“I, um,” she searched for the reason but it had been so long since she’d had to make excuses for his presence around her.

“It’s okay, love,” Klaus whispered into her ear. She inwardly groaned; his smooth voice was not something she needed at this moment.

She glanced at her mother, who, too, gave encouragement in the form of a smile.

“We’re…”

Bill squinted brutally at the hybrid.

“We’re dating, okay!”

“Ouch. I would have said we were a little further along than that, love,” Klaus chimed in but he immediately ducked his head guiltily.

“What?!” Bill practically exploded.

“Bill,” said Liz, “she’s happy.”

“My daughter is not dating that monster!”

He flailed his arms about and began pointing at the couple, which only made Klaus pull Caroline closer into him.

“For Christ’s sake, Bill, you’re dead,” Liz quickly pointed out, coming in between them.

“But **_him_**?!”

“I’ll admit I was a little surprised…but I’m sure Caroline made these…choices in sound mind! We don’t really get a say in the matter as ghosts.”

“We don’t have time for this,” Klaus took charge, stepping up to meet Bill, “Tell us where the amulet is.”

Despite the clear imbalance of power, Bill scoffed and held his hands to his hips.

“I’d rather die again before I help _**you**_.”

“I’m sure we can arrange that.”

“Daddy,” spoke Caroline, finally unleashing a demanding voice before softening as he focused on her, “Please.”

Bill Forbes tapped his foot stubbornly but faltered under his daughter’s gaze.

“Okay. It’s…” he began but cut himself off.

Caroline became annoyed at her father’s games, but quickly realised Klaus had vanished.

The potions had worn off and Caroline was next.

“Tell me _**now**_.”

Bill stammered suddenly, a change from his previous stubborn antics, “It’s behind the painting of the First Council in the basement of the Council Building.”

“Thank you,” Caroline sighed out. She took one long look at her parents, hoping to capture her last moments with them even if they were under dire circumstances.

Liz immediately took her daughter into a hug, struggling to pull herself back. Caroline shivered mildly as her mother cupped her cheeks, smiling sadly. She felt her body trying to pull her back into the real world but she held on as much as she could.

“It’s unfortunate that I… _we,”_ she glanced at Bill _,_ “had to miss so much.”

Caroline sniffled as she endured her watery eyes, hoping not to let them spill over.

“I love you.”

“I love–” Liz began to speak but in a flash, Caroline, too, was gone.

Liz took a couple steps back, holding back the tears that threatened her eyes.

“I should have staked him. Could have kept him here longer,” Bill muttered.

“Shut up, Bill.”


	8. Paint Me Any Colour

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**drabble request: Established future Kc fluff**

* * *

Caroline grumbled as the stream of light peeking through the curtains landed on her eye. Running a hand down her face, she gave into the start of the day by sitting up in the king-sized bed. As expected, she was alone in bed, Klaus’ side already made, making her look like the most unproductive person in the world. She couldn’t help that she was more of a night person; it was a wonder that she even started waking up at ten a.m., but Klaus’ presence had her syncing to his schedule.

She sighed appreciatively at the sight of a single black coffee on the nightstand and as she blew her messy blonde curls away, she wrapped her fingers around the warm mug. That devil. Somehow, he always knew when she would be waking up, her coffee always just at the right temperature. If he turned out to be a witch, that would be no surprise, but she feared that being a wolf-vampire hybrid _and_ a witch would go to his head.

Caroline sunk her feet into her fluffy pink slippers, dragging her feet slowly along into the opened up kitchen-living space of their apartment. The hallway was lined with framed pictures of them from various trips around the world, something she had to convince Klaus would be a cute decoration. Despite his willingness to give everything up for her, that man had a problem with being sentimental.

Getting people on board with their relationship was a struggle but getting herself on board with it was half of the battle. She was ever-paranoid that his lust over her would be over the minute she gave in to his persistent seduction, but he seemed adamant to prove that it wasn’t the case. Four years later, they were reaching their second anniversary of living together in New Orleans.

She hummed into her coffee mug, content with the view she found in the living area: a shirtless, paint splattered Klaus with one brush in his hand and another trapped between his teeth. Leaning against the kitchen counter, she allowed her eyes to roam all over the masterpiece before her. Of course, the one thing he kept on was his jewellery.

“It’s rude to stare,” he stated promptly after removing the brush from his mouth, his eyes glued to the canvas before him.

With a lazy laugh, Caroline sauntered across to meet him at his art station, slouching into the red loveseat he had set up for her. She had argued that if she needed to sit, his lap was a fine alternative but despite his amusement, he insisted on a chair, though she knew he enjoyed her distractions.

“I wasn’t,” she pouted, her eyes refusing to abandon their current view. “Besides,” she propped her feet onto the couch, “I was deprived of a morning wake up call. I think I deserve some eye-candy.”

He chuckled, applying strokes of red to the canvas with a slow ease. “My apologies, love. I had a sudden stroke of inspiration.”

She took another sip, raising her eyebrow. “Well, maybe I should find someone else. I hear Marcel is on the market,” she muttered playfully into her mug.

Klaus finally took his eyes off of his work, his lips pressing into a grin. “Is that so?”

Caroline kept eye-contact and batted her lashes as she downed the rest of her coffee before slamming the mug on a nearby surface.

Holding back a laugh, Klaus swivelled his chair to face her and before she knew it, he was hovering above her and had her pressed back against the cushions.

“Care to repeat that, sweetheart?”

With a soft laugh, she stared up at him and bit her lip. “I just said that, since you’re so unavailable, maybe–”

With that, he began pecking various spots of her face, earning a fit of giggles from her. His arms were holding him up as his hands rested either side of her face, his left hand clenching a paintbrush.

Her nose scrunched up, her smile wide as she attempted to continue, “Maybe I–”

He pressed more kisses over her skin between each of her words.

“Should. Find. Someone. Else,” she squeaked, giggling more as he resigned himself to trailing kisses along her neck. “Klaus!”

Klaus chuckled against her skin, the vibrations doing nothing for the heat rising in her cheeks or stomach.

“Terribly sorry, but I’m not sure I caught that. You _have_ to speak up, love,” he mumbled against her jawline.

Caroline whimpered softly, tugging him by his cross necklace in order to kiss him directly on the lips.

“I suddenly forgot. Oops,” she muttered against his generous kisses.

He breathed out his amusement, pulling away despite her immediate puppy eyes.

“I must get back to painting.”

“You can paint me,” she replied, attempting to lower her voice seductively.

With that stupid, smug smirk of his, he nodded in obligation, swiftly running the paint brush down from her forehead to her chin.

“I’m gonna kill you,” she whispered incredulously, biting back her smile.


	9. Paint Me Any Colour II

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**helloo, so you are really good at writing fluff and I wnated to ask if maybe you could write something fluffy of Klaus painting Caroline? thanks.**

* * *

“Love, can you _please_ sit still?” Klaus grumbled, his eyes squinting at the canvas.

“I _barely_ moved!” Caroline raised her arms in defence but quickly brought them back down, smiling sweetly. “Whoops?”

The blonde was sat on a kitchen stool next to the breakfast counter, one foot dangling as the other rested on the top foot bar. When he had asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she thought it would be cute if he drew and painted her. Unfortunately, him being the brooding artist he was, he was adamant that he catch her in a candid moment.

He tilted his head slightly and brought his thumb to his lips, removing it momentarily to speak.

“If you were intending to move so much, why did you bloody ask me to draw you?”

She huffed defiantly.

“I thought it would be _romantic_ like in _Titanic_ where she’s lying naked on that fancy chair, not me trying to keep my butt from going numb sitting on this stool!”

“Work of an amateur,” he mumbled before smirking, “but if being naked will help, I’m sure that can be arranged.”

“Hah,” she expressed sarcastically, glaring at the side of his head in her view, “not happening.”

Klaus simply smiled to himself, continuing to outline her figure carefully. Finally, he thought, she was settling in.

“How much longer is this gonna take? I promised Rebekah I’d meet her for lunch.”

He flinched and immediately set his pencil down.

“For Christ’s sake, Caroline, were you _ever_ taught patience?” he asked incredulously, taking himself away from the canvas to stand in front of her.

Her lips twitched as she attempted to contain her grin. Sometimes, she couldn’t help but push his buttons for the sake of his child-like reactions.

“No, I don’t think so,” she stared up at him, her tone dumbfounded, “Was that, like, an extra-curricular?”

He took a deep breath, bobbing his head slightly as if to reaffirm his internal, irritated monologue.

“Sweetheart.”

“Yes…dear,” she replied meekly, her teeth taking in her bottom lip.

Klaus brought his face close to hers, scanning her face intensely. If he hadn’t wished to make her gift so perfect, he would have abandoned hope and brought her into the bedroom, but it was the only thing she had asked for. That and Klaus Mikaelson did _not_ half-arse his art.

“Keep,” he began, lifting her chin up slightly, “still.”

The mischievous glint in her eye was not enough security, so he continued.

“If you do, I’ll buy you beignets.”

“From Loretta’s?”

Caroline’s brow raised to which he nodded slowly in conformation.

“Deal,” she answered, wetting her lip slightly and lowering her brow.

Klaus took a sigh of relief as he backed away, returning to his seat and picking up his pencil once more.

“Just one more thing,” she began, straightening her back.

“Oh bloody hell.”


	10. Love's Not A Game

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**I don't really know how you feel about babies but I would like something like Klaus and Caroline having a future secret relationship. Nobody knows. The mystic falls gang is part of the originlas familly and they all ship them. They have bets on when they'll finally admit they love each other.**

* * *

“No– No. way. Blondie has been planning prom all week!” Damon slammed his drink on the large table.

“I’m telling you! I saw her and my brother leaving the theatre two days ago looking awfully friendly,” Rebekah recounted and pointed at him with a French fry between her fingers.

“Darling sister, you _must_ get your eyes fixed,” Kol commented, gazing at her with a loving smile, which she scoffed at immediately.

Stefan tapped his lips thoughtfully, “But if she’s right…”

The lot of them were gathered around a large circular booth in The Grill, using Matt for all the free alcohol they could weasel out of him. The fighting between the Mikaelsons and the Mystic Falls Gang had long since ended and eventually they had made it a habit of drinking together at the local bar. Soon, the drinks became a weekly activity for them every Friday night and they always commandeered their favourite booth at the back.

“Come on, Bekah,” Elena leaned forward, “just last week, Caroline was telling me how annoying he was.”

“Oh you are _just_ saying that because you bet that they would confess their feelings on Christmas Eve!”

“No,” Elena mumbled, crossing her arms, “I just think it’s a little soon.”

“I mean,” Bonnie piped up and sipped her drink.

“The witch knows something!” Kol raised his arms high, “Tell us.”

“My god, you are all so childish,” Elijah was next to speak, refusing to look up from his blackberry.

“Only next to you, _Grandpa_. Remind me to get you an IPhone for Christmas,” Kol spluttered, but immediately brought his attention back to the dark-haired witch.

“All I know is,” Bonnie glanced between them all, delighting at their faces urging closer, “You’re all idiots and I’m going to win.”

“Pshh,” Damon said, rolling his eyes before bringing up the notes on his phone, “I have you down for next week. Blondie has a packed schedule.”

“Oh and she couldn’t possibly have free time for romance?”

“No because she’s a control freak.”

As they bickered further, one Katherine Pierce strolled into the bar, taking quick notice of the group.

“What are you _losers_ talking about?” inquired Katherine, who was resting her palms on the edge of their table.

Damon glared at her, swirling his drink, “None of your business.”

“We’re betting on when Klaus and Caroline will finally get together,” Elena shared happily, ignoring the faux-ashamed look on Damon’s face.

Katherine took a moment to register, beginning to speak softly, “That’s…kind of horrible betting on your friends’ and _sibling’s,”_ she nodded towards the Mikaelsons, “relationship behind their backs. You’re playing with _love_ here.”

A couple of them looked down uncomfortably, all too aware of their bad actions.

“That being said, I’m in.”

Damon displayed a toothy grin, “How much and when?”

Katherine smiled, batting her lashes, “Twenty dollars…and right now.”

“Bold. Why do you say that?”

She waited until she saw his fingers finish tapping away at his notes.

“Because they’re having sex in his car right now.”

Like that, everyone was up and out of their seats aside from Elijah who rolled his eyes.

Luckily for their eyes, Caroline entered the bar at that moment, but being confronted with the group of them had her jumping in surprise.

“OH my god!” she clutched her chest. “What’s going on?!”

“Heyyy, Caroline,” sang Kol, leaning onto one foot and attempting to view her with an innocent expression.

“Just, uh,” Elena shrugged, ”Hangin’ out…”

They all nodded and vocalised their agreement.

“Right…”

“You forgot your jacket, love–”

That was when Klaus entered as well, denim jacket in hand, slowly coming to a stop next to Caroline.

“Am I supposed to be aware of why you lot are all loitering in front of the door?”

They glanced at each other momentarily, but Katherine was smirking, her arms folded.

“Your fly is undone.”


	11. Sleigh Bells Jingling

_**ANONYMOUS ASKED:** _

_**Drabble request. Caroline and Klaus spend their first Christmas/Halloween/Easter with their daughter. 🥰** _

* * *

“Mommy, where’s Daddy?” asked the little sandy-haired girl, wobbling over from a pile of unopened gifts next to the Christmas tree.

Caroline blew away a tuft of hair, bringing her daughter onto her lap.

“Mommy doesn’t know, sweetie, but she will definitely be giving Daddy a piece of her mind,” she said softly, mumbling the last few words.

Klaus had told her that he had “business” down in New Orleans and though she would hardly call keeping his stronghold on the community a priority, he assured her he would be home in time for Christmas. Yet, she was looking at her watch impatiently.

The last few Christmases were unfortunately spent apart due to…unforeseen circumstances, and so this was finally their first Christmas spent with their daughter Hope. They had chosen to stay in her father’s cabin, seeing as it wasn’t much of a trek.

“Hmph,” exhaled the little girl, crossing her arms.

“What’s that face for?” Caroline laughed, pinching at her daughter’s cheeks.

Hope said no words but maintained a pout as she stared down her mother.

Another laugh left Caroline’s lips and she took to tickling the little girl, scrunching her nose up as she spoke, “Is someone getting bored of waiting?”

They giggled in unison and Caroline continued to tickle until she sensed a click of the front door.

“ _Hope_ I’m not interrupting anything,” Klaus greeted, smugly watching from the doorway.

“Daddy!”

“Hello, sweetheart,” he replied and happily swept her up after she scrambled over to him.

“Can I _please_ open the presents now?”

Caroline pulled herself up off of the carpeted floor and nodded in response with a simple ‘mhm’.

Klaus settled Hope down, allowing her to begin tearing into the boxes, and smiled guiltily as his wife’s hands settled on her hips.

“You look ravishing, love,” he attempted to compliment, pulling her in by the wrist.

It was her turn to pout and fold her arms, refusing to speak for anything less than an explanation.

“I know, I know, I am terribly late,” he sighed, “but I was attempting to secure your Christmas gift.”

Her pupils roamed in thought and the corner of her lips tugged ever so slightly.

“For me?”

“For you…and the little princess over there,” he nodded towards his daughter who quickly looked over, plastic tiara sitting atop her head.

“Another?!” squeaked Hope, jumping up.

“I mean…I’ll need to see this gift before I decide if you’re out of the dog house,” she shrugged, her words laced with humour and truth.

“It requires your coats, hats _and_ ,”he narrowed his eyes at Hope, “your gloves.”

While Hope raced to get herself dressed, Caroline took her time to spite him. He chuckled as he took her gloves and slid them onto her fingers.

“Come on, come on!” whined their daughter, wiggling slightly.

“ _Okay_ ,” Caroline said lightly in defence, raising her palms.

When Klaus led them outdoors into the snow-covered yard, they were presented with the most beautiful, hand-crafted, wooden sleigh. The detailing along the sides was intricate and Caroline immediately spotted their initials carved into it.

“I recall you complaining that you had yet to go sledding, and of course, I could not let you sit on one of those death-traps, so I had a friend make this,” Klaus sighed out, leaning in to Caroline’s ear.

Caroline bit her tongue for a moment but soon, her lips stretched out into a wide smile.

“I love it,” she whispered, turning to Klaus in order to press a firm peck to his cheek, “Thank you.”

“Only the best for you, love.”

Hope tilted her head to the side before posing the question, “…What is it?”


	12. A Movie's Harshest Critic

_**ANONYMOUS ASKED:** _

_**Your fluffy established kc is soo good, you should start a series with them. in the menatime can I have a drabble along those lines?** _

* * *

In Caroline’s attempt to step over him on the couch, Klaus hooked his arms around the leg in his lap and earned a squeal from her as he pulled her down onto him abruptly. The large screen in their living room illuminated their faces, the movie of choice that night being Gangster Squad. Klaus was unsure of the film until Caroline reminded him it was her turn and that going against her movie dictation would be fatal.

She slapped his shoulders gently, her nose bumping against his, “Don’t.”

He groaned, batting his nose against her cheek, “Sweetheart, I cannot survive the inaccuracies of this film any longer.”

“Well,” she gripped his chin between her fingers, “when it’s _your_ turn, you can choose something more _historically accurate_.”

With a scoff, he responded by wrapping his fingers around her wrist.

“ _Please_ , if we were going by that criteria, all we would have left would be documentaries. And even then…”

Caroline laughed, pulling her hand away and whining as she fell to the side. They couldn’t watch anything set on a historical event without his lengthy input. Sometimes, she contemplated playing Pearl Harbour just to see the look on his face when Ben Affleck took to shooting down enemy planes.

“Oh my god! Have some imagination! Who’s to say some of these things didn’t happen?”

“Caroline,” he patted her butt gently and she wiggled in response, “considering I was present during these events, I think I have good authority.”

She rolled over to face him, her face blank for a long moment before she giggled, raising her arms, “Of _course_ you were! You’re, like, ancient! What event _didn’t_ you witness?!”

A grin crept on his face and he stroked along her leg, “Plenty, love.”

Caroline raised an eyebrow, sitting up, “Like what?”

“For starters: the Titanic. Not a fan of cruises. Tends to be difficult to keep your victims hidden on a large boat.”


	13. Are We There Yet?

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Hey so I don't know how you feel about the whole babies thing. But if you're okay with that could you maybe do something like the tweens and hope calling them while they are traveling somewhere?**

* * *

They had been travelling for hours on end, Klaus only allowing stops for bathroom breaks and even then, there was a dispute over relieving oneself in a nearby bush. Leave it to Kol to get himself wrapped up in the business of temperamental witches with a bone to pick. Due to unforeseen circumstances and Caroline’s unwillingness to compel a car, they were left with a yellow death-trap containing an impossibly old cassette player. The tuning of the radio whined in various pitches as Caroline fiddled with the flimsy plastic knob.

Klaus briefly closed his eyes for a moment in irritation, sighing out as he concentrated on the darkening roads. “Would you pick a station already, love?”

She glanced at him dully. “No,” she replied and continued on.

“Caroline, if your goal is to annoy me to the point of turning this car around, then you are going to be sorely disappointed,” he reprimanded her, his teeth grinding gently. Granted, he could have made the trip himself, but he didn’t want to send her home so abruptly.

“You made me come along on this wacky adventure as if Kol doesn’t deserve a little kick up the ass,” she pointed out, folding her arms as she leaned back after settling on a station, “so I reserve the right to control the music, and I’m feeling picky today.”

He saw her smug glare from the corner of his eye and clenched his jaw, halting the car on the side of the road.

“Caroline sweetheart,” he spoke defeatedly, raising the handbrake. He readjusted himself, taking his seatbelt off in order to face her.

She rolled her eyes, mirroring his adjustments but keeping her arms tight in their position.

“I cannot have you sulking this entire journey. Don’t let this ruin our getaway,” he continued, his gaze scanning her unrelenting frown.

With a scoff, Caroline finally unleashed the pent up agitation, “Our getaway? We barely even got to the hotel and you jumped at the chance to ‘rescue’ your brother when he called!”

He quickly retorted, “I did not jump.”

“Oh, you practically went head first!” she huffed and looked down, whining quietly. “I planned the whole weekend out for us!”

“I know.”

“Do you?! Do you know the meticulous crafting of our schedule?!”

He began to open his mouth, pausing as her angry stare penetrated him. Of course, she thought, but before she could continue her rampage, her phone alerted her with its signature Britney Spears ringtone.

She held a finger up in front of his face, swiping the green circle on her phone screen. Her face lit up with a smile, her lips fighting the irritation still clinging to her while Klaus simply shook his head in amusement.

“Girls,” she sighed, turning her head away. 

The tiny voices of her daughters squeaked through the speaker. They were rambling on and on with questions. Finally, she heard the recognisable voice of Hope. She and Klaus had thought their daughters would have enjoyed the prolonged sleepover while they were away, though Alaric was ambivalent about being left with hyper pre-teens.

“Are you and dad having fun? Will you be home soon?”

Caroline glanced at Klaus, whose smirk immediately had her turning away once again.

“Yeah, of course! We’re having an amazing time,” she bared a grin. “I think we’ll be coming home a little sooner.”

She only heard whispering and giggles of excitement as a response. Oh, she was not looking forward to the three of them entering the years in which she, herself, was most aggravating, and yet she was most gleeful at the idea of Klaus having to deal with it.

“I’ll call when we’re on our way. Now, you girls get to bed!”

When she hung up, she took only a moment to feel Klaus’ gaze on her. With a painful turn of her head, she braced the view of Klaus’ lips curled in a grin. She placed the phone down in the single cup-holder between them.

“What?” she spat gently.

He analysed her with his grin still plastered across his face and spoke assuredly, “Check in, unpack, get dressed, fancy dinner at Le Canard, hot tub, time left open for what I can only assume to be–”

“Okay!” Caroline laughed, reaching a hand to cover his mouth. “You memorised it?”

He mumbled against her skin, “Of course, love.”


	14. The Deets

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**I am having some problems with tumblr so I don't even know if or when this will arrive to you. Anyway I know it's not really kc but I'd really like to request a girl talk with Bonnie and elena about tvd 5x11 (kc hot hybrid sex). Like Bonnie finds out because Elena let it slip out after Damon tell her. And they ambush Caroline with pizza to amke her talk or something. Thank you.**

* * *

The bang against the door was rapid as her friends sang out her name from behind it. Caroline huffed, rising from her position lounging on her bed. She was mid face mask session, sheet sagging against her skin. Tonight was her pamper night, her time to relax from all of the stress of college. She had decided to go home to do this, unwilling to attempt relaxation in her three-bed dorm room. Yet, of course, she couldn’t escape.

Caroline yanked the door open, her frown turning confused as Elena and Bonnie stood there with two pizzas stacked on top of one another.

“Pizza party!” Elena announced, lifting the boxes up slightly.

“Uh—”

Her plan of protest was thwarted when they pounced onto the bed, the pizza jumping inside the box. Elena placed the boxes beside one another, Bonnie quickly diving into a slice while Caroline reluctantly shut her door.

“A little heads up would have been nice?”

Bonnie’s gaze averted hers, connecting with Elena, who shook her head. Elena reached an arm out, speaking cautiously, “We just thought it would be fun… You know, like old times!”

Caroline squinted, peeling away her face mask before joining them on the bed. Of all the times, they chose now to show up. Their mixture of nerves and eagerness was too obvious. “What are you guys up to?”

Elena managed an innocent smile, placing her hands in her lap.

“We know you had sex with Klaus!” came blurting from a quickly meek Bonnie, whose hands covered her mouth.

“BONNIE!” Caroline and Elena’s separately petrified voices rang out.

“How do you know?!”

“Damon told Elena and Elena blabbed!” Bonnie’s sudden honesty was tumbling out like a fountain.

“BONNIE! Shut up!”

“That snitch!” Caroline ranted, slapping her hands across her pillows.

“So it’s true!” Elena raised her finger at her friend.

“I— I mean—”

“You know, I feel much better getting that out,” Bonnie sighed, biting further into her pizza slice. Yes, the witch could keep her mouth shut, but if she was being honest, she didn’t want to this time. The gossip was too delicious.


	15. Romantic Tales of Grocery Shopping

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Wow your estabilished Kc was amazing! Can you write more? Not necesserary a sequel, Just other something along those lines. Thank you**

* * *

“Sweetheart, it remains a mystery to me why you would actually want to go grocery shopping. What use are minions otherwise?” Klaus questioned, his hands locked behind his back while he accompanied his girlfriend a few steps behind.

Caroline picked up a yellow pepper, inspecting its condition before exchanging it for another. Her eyes met his and she derided playfully, “Maybe I like doing things for myself. Makes me feel human.”

“I thought you would be past those pesky limitations by now.” Klaus came up behind her, snaking his arms around her waist before commenting on the pepper, “Too bruised.”

Her gentle giggle sent shivers down his spine as she wriggled her way out of his grip. “I happen to like the bruised ones. They’re more exciting.” 

He narrowed his eyes at her remark, chuckling when his expression faltered. “Is that your attempt to flirt with me, love?”

Caroline placed the imperfect pepper in her basket before turning to her boyfriend. “What? I had absolutely no intention.” Her eyelashes batted innocently, though her tongue wet her lips alongside the action.

He had grown to adore the effect he had on her when she spoke, her enunciation clear and precise. There was no doubt that if he whisked her away to any part of the world, she would absorb the culture, the language, everything. Yet, she was clinging to the idyllic human life for the remaining years of her old life. Despite protest, he accepted her terms, opting to take her anywhere in the United States. Philadelphia was the newest stop on their tour of each city.

The smirk now present on his face was like heaven in her eyes, the way he teased her for her humanistic ways with it. She squeaked when he held her closer, using the loops on her jeans to do so.

“I do not like games, Caroline,” he growled warmly, nipping at her jawline. Her musical giggle broke him from his attempt at roleplay; the glint in his eye gave him away. 

She bumped her nose against his and she sighed out, “You know, the sooner we get this grocery shopping done, the sooner we can—”

“Ahem.”

They were interrupted by a little old lady, looking ready to swing her handbag if need be. Caroline laughed, dragging Klaus, who gave a little wave, away from the vegetable aisle and onto to the next.

She then focused her attention on the cheeses, pressing her finger to her chin as she deliberated.

“Sooner we can…what?” Klaus murmured into her ear, his hand resting on the small of her back.

Caroline pressed her lips into a closed smile, leaning herself back into him. “Well, that’s for me to know and you to find out.”


	16. Sandy Blonde Hair

ANONYMOUS ASKED:

Klaroline au at the beach together.Fluff and smut(if you feel like it). Not AH.

**_Thanks for patiently waiting! I hope you enjoy this! I crawled out of my current hole to fulfil one request haha_ **

* * *

“And this is, like, legal, right?” Caroline whispered urgently, creeping behind Klaus as they tread through the cave. He had teased her all evening about the special after-dinner activity that would draw their holiday in Bali to a close. They had gone increasingly off the beaten track to the point where Caroline wasn’t even whether or not they were trespassing.

His hushed voice still managed to echo off the walls, “The blood bag stealing vampire is worried about legalities?”

“Well, maybe I don’t want to mess up,” she paused, nervously checking behind her before reprimanding him, “the natural balance of this beautiful eco-system!”

Klaus chuckled, reaching behind himself to interlock his fingers with hers, and continued along until they reached a moonlit opening. “Trust me, sweetheart. We’ll be doing no harm,” he assured her as they stepped onto the lush sand that immediately encroached upon their sandals.

Her mouth was agape as she took in the reflection of the night sky in the pitch black water. Over twenty years as a vampire and she was still finding her breath taken away any time Klaus proposed a new adventure. She was sure it was nothing new to him, having lived centuries already, but she could have sworn she saw his lips part in awe for just a split second.

Caroline giggled softly, glancing at his expression, but found herself screaming in delight as he used his vampire speed to pin her down against the sand. The grains of sand were quick to meet with her scalp, something she would surely be spending hours in the shower to be rid of.

“I thought you said we would do no harm?” Her brow quirked and she scraped her teeth lightly against her bottom lip.

The playful yet impatient roll of his eyes was enough to drive her the butterflies in her stomach mad. “I hardly think ravishing you on the beach will do much harm. There’s sand everywhere, love,” he reasoned, his breath hot against her neck.

Caroline purred encouragingly as she wound her arms around the back of his neck, “Well, that _would_ be another item off the bucket list.”

His eyes widened as his hungry and amused gaze met hers, “Then why the bloody hell didn’t we do this sooner?”


	17. Sock it To Me

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Kc+"I punched you in the face but I meant to punch another guy, I'm so sorry" au with a bit of clarenzo friendship?...**

* * *

“Alright alright alright,” Enzo hollered his best Matthew McConaughey impression. He clapped his hands together and jogged on the spot for a moment as he prepared to be ‘taught a lesson’. Caroline had boasted over the phone about her newfound skills of ‘ka-ra-te’, having taken a free class at her gym – that place was for pussies (like Caroline’s ex-boyfriend) if you asked him. He was eager to get her to prove her skills and demanded they meet at their usual bar for a cheeky shot or two.

Caroline downed a shot of very off-brand tequila between stretching her arms. With a similar momentary jog on the spot, she shook her wrists and grinned while she tilted her head side to side. “Are you sure you’re ready to witness my amazing skills?” she taunted, the alcohol infusing her with confidence.

“More than I have ever been in my entire existence,” he confirmed, flashing his teeth.

Caroline giggled when she saw his tongue swipe over his upper teeth, though it was mainly due to the recollection of Enzo’s gold grill phase in freshman year of college. Her fingers secured into a fist with her thumb securely resting atop just as her instructor made clear. The rush of the alcohol had her breathing slowly in a bid to not throw up but encouraged her to swing in the direction of her friend.

“Fuck–”

Time stopped for her much like it did that time she had mistaken a forty percent off seven hundred dollars for seventy percent off forty dollars. Suffice to say, she had done much backtracking in front of the cashier. This time would be no different.

Her lips parted into a painfully shocked expression, Enzo’s eyes bulging and her hands making their way to cup her head as they turned to take in the stubble-jawed stranger shirking away with a reddening lip. The apologetic shriek that left Caroline’s mouth only induced the situation into further embarrassment.

“I…am so…so so so,” she began to ramble and reached out to hover her fingers over the injured man’s face, ”so sorry! Oh my god!”

Enzo was taking his cowardly exit and sliding sideways to order another tequila shot from the now distracted bartender.

“I m-meant to punch him instead,” the flustered tremble of Caroline’s voice intensified as she waited for the response of the gentleman. Enzo raised his glass as both Caroline and the stranger took a look at him before making eye contact with each other once more. She was left to intently analyse his defined features including his plump, pink lips which pursed as he attempted to realise the situation at hand.

The man stretched his bottom lip side to side, rubbing his jawline as he spoke, “It’s quite alright, love, though I do suggest aiming for the nose next time; tends to do greater damage.”

Caroline nodded slowly and fiddled her fingers as they rested at her sides, unable to tear her eyes away from him. She hadn’t been prepared to hear his sultry British accent — and yes, she could hear Enzo complaining about never having that effect on her with his own British influence.

“Can…” She let her lashes flutter as her Miss Mystic Falls training took over her with a generous smile. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Oh god, she sounded like a creep.

“…To say sorry!” Caroline rushed out. “I’m not trying to hit on you– even though I did technically hit you– not that…you aren’t good looking– just forget I said anything.”

She would have swooned at the glint in his eyes as his lips curled upward if she wasn’t so intoxicated.

“I would be much more obliged to accept the drink if you were, sweetheart.”

_Oh_.


	18. Candlelit Dinners

**_Written for Klaroline Valentine’s Day Bingo 2020_ **

* * *

“Klaus!” her voice travelled through the winding path lined with canvases both plain and painted. She wondered which of the paintings were being selected for his next show; she always liked to go because it meant free champagne and the chance to act like she had any idea about the cost of his paintings around real connoisseurs.

Caroline sighed as she found the main area of his annoyingly large loft apartment, the currently propped up canvas without its painter. While she dusted off the stray snowflakes on her black leather jacket, she hadn’t noticed him wandering in from the bathroom, paint rag in hand.

“Come to drag me off to dinner already, Caroline?”

Her shoulders jumped and she spun around to view Klaus covered in paint. He was like a child let loose in a kindergarten class. The splash of blue marking under his chin was indicative of his usual pondering gesture. She placed her hands around her waist, fingers drumming across the leather gently.

“I’m here to make sure you’re not late. You know how Elena gets when you rock up like it’s nothing.”

Their old high school group had managed to stay friendly over the years, luck bringing them all to New York for work. Unfortunately, there were less parties and more unfulfilled plans once they began their jobs. That was when she and Elena had proposed they meet every Thursday night for drinks and plastic-cheese covered nachos at a bar equidistant to their apartments. Caroline had done a meticulous search of bars fitting that criteria. Yet despite being freelance and having the most relaxed job in the entirety of the universe, Klaus could still find time to waste away while the rest of them waited for his arrival.

His relaxed posture tightened in panic as he replied, “Oh, well if Elena requested—”

“Shut up,” she broke out into a breathy laugh, reaching for a nearby brush to throw at his shoulder. She barely missed, the brush swiping against the skin of his arm.

Klaus’ brows raised teasingly, but he held his hands up in surrender when she folded her arms. He did love to see her face whenever he even grazed her buttons. “Okay, okay,” he chuckled before looking at his watch, his eyes crinkling in confusion. “Forgive me if my watch is playing up, but why the bloody hell are you here? We’re not meeting for over an hour.“

His watch was correct. Caroline shifted on her feet, shrugging as she wandered along to his easel. She picked up a thin brush to inspect as she replied nonchalantly, “Well, you see—”

Klaus pushed out his lips, attempting to contain the knowing expression wishing to break free. He kept silent and revelled in the cute way she meandered on her way to an answer.

“I finished work early and thought, ‘you know who lives nearby? Klaus’ and coincidentally I have this really fancy gala coming up. So then, I thought ‘you know who has a weird, bordering on creepy, collection of designer dresses? Also Klaus’. And then, I came up—”

“I don’t think it’s that weird,” he muttered in between her rambling.

“—and your door was unlocked, which, by the way, is totally dangerous! I could’ve been a murderer! So, I came up and here you are and here I am with the need for a dress!”

It was at this point, Klaus had resigned himself to chuckling rather tiredly. In all of their years of friendship, she hadn’t improved upon her lack of concise explanation, though he would argue against himself that it was an enjoyable pastime to hear it. 

“First of all, sweetheart, you know that my sister uses my place as a second storage unit.” He pressed his lips together for a moment, noting the adoringly childish way his friend bit her tongue out. “Second of all, I resent being used as a designer store. That being said,” her eyes wandered coyly, “you did make the trip in the snow and I suppose it would be rude to deny you.”

“Thank you,” she said with a deepened tone and a curtsy. The lip-service was short as she rushed off to his room, which left him to laugh quietly as he preoccupied himself with painting.

Caroline was happy to see the trunk left of his bedroom door with its gorgeous gold baroque detailing atop a seafoam coloured paint. Oh, she could have just died as she unlatched it and lifted the lid; all those beautiful dresses could easily blind a person unprepared for its glory. Rebekah may have been a bit stuck up —Caroline refuted that she was a mini-version of herself—, but she had impeccable, expensive tastes.

“So, how is Rebekah?” she called out while removing her jacket and shirt in quick succession. Her eyes had been caught by the Saint Laurent midi dress that Rebekah had so smugly shown off when visiting the previous year.

“Wondering if you can get away with keeping one of those ridiculously priced gowns?” he questioned, soon speechless for a moment as her bare back reflected in a nearby mirror. Though it took him a moment, he averted his gaze.

“It’s not like she would notice one missing,” Caroline reasoned in a musical tone.

“You and I both know that is absolutely not true.”

A few dresses and many thoughtful paint strokes later, Caroline was strutting out of his room in the outfit she arrived in but with a silk black dress poking out of her bag. Rebekah would kill her if she saw the oxymoron that was her the two-grand dress in Caroline’s forty dollar bag.

“Your services are appreciated.” Caroline smiled, her eyes turning into crescent moons of themselves. “New piece for your next show?” she asked with the drop of her jaw at the beautiful shapes taking place on the canvas.

“Perhaps.”

She was enamoured by his concentrating face. The first time she saw it, she giggled at the murderous stare that took hold of the canvas. Now, it was simply pleasurable to see how much his work meant to him.

Her lashes fluttered in an attempt to break herself from her thoughts. “We should probably go. We’ll probably take a little longer because of the snow.”

“Already? I was so hoping we could spend more time helping you loot my sister’s clothing.” Klaus’ lips tugged out gently but spread into a full smile when her flat expression met his eyes. “Help me with some of these?” he implored, his arms gesturing to a stack of paintings below the window.

“Aye aye, captain.” She saluted, smiling back when she noticed another stain of paint had appeared on his cheek.

Caroline’s phone pinged and she quickly fished it out of her bag while Klaus picked up the first painting, taking the opportunity to peer out of the window. “Uh, love?”

“Hm?”

She squinted at the stream of messages coming through to their group chat. Damon was celebrating the snow blanketing the city while the rest of them complained about having to get home.

“I’m not sure we will be going out tonight.”

“Yeah, the rest of the group are calling for a reschedule.”

“No, I mean at all.”

Like a cruel punishment from the gods, the lights cut out with the end of his words.

“Are you kidding me?” Caroline puffed her cheeks out, her annoyance growing as she noticed the internet had immediately followed suit with the lights.

“The roads are covered and by the looks of it, every door down this street is blocked. I don’t think you’ll make it far,” Klaus informed her with faux guilt to cover the fact that he was happy to have her alone for once.

Caroline groaned, her feet dragging as she attempted to navigate his place in the dark. She could barely make out his figure but took hold of his arm to get her bearings. “I think this is the worst thing to have ever happened.”

“Ever?”

She didn’t need to see to know he was grinning ear to ear and promptly gave his chest a gentle punch. 

“Forgive me, I was unaware you were so captivated by the cheap beer and knock-off Mexican food.” He couldn’t fully read her expression, but the idea of her pout was enough to tickle his senses.

“Hey, I was looking forward to drowning in those nachos after I missed lunch,” she reasoned with a huff.

He gave into a laugh, grasping her wrist and leading her slowly around the path of paintings to the kitchen. It was no surprise that she immediately commented on the lack of organisation in his loft.

“I’m sure I can whip up something just as delectable, love,” he mused, leaving her standing in the middle of the kitchen while he cautiously felt his way to the cupboards.

“I can’t believe you still don’t have a table,” she mumbled. “Where do you even eat?”

“At my workstation. I am an artist after all — can’t be away from my craft for too long.”

“How brooding of you.” Caroline took it upon herself to rummage through a bottom cupboard, pulling out a set of three medium-sized candles. Each one she had bought for him as a Christmas gift. That liar had told her he used them all the time, yet they were safely stored in the back.

Swiftly, she pulled a box of matches from a drawer and took to lighting each candle. The smell of cinnamon and winter berries filled her nostrils to her delight.

“Should I be concerned you know your way around my kitchen so well? And in the dark, no less.” Klaus couldn’t deny he was both impressed and rather infatuated with the idea.

She rolled her eyes, lips teasing a smile. “Should I be concerned you don’t?”

Caroline didn’t wait for his reply as she placed the candles in an odd triangular shape on the floor.

“Are you planning to sacrifice me, love? I should have known you only wanted my friendship for my body,” he teased as he finished the meal preparation.

“Yes, I’m trying to become a billionaire and the requirement for sacrifice was a frustrating British man who lacks a dining table,” her monotone voice rang out while she searched his bedroom for a blanket. His bed always looked so inviting, even in the dark she could only think about the memory foam mattress he had bought the previous Spring.

“Well, I am willing and able.”

She shook herself from those ideas when he shouted out in reply.

Caroline finally returned with a blanket, neatly laying it on the cold flooring of his kitchen. She looked up at him and the two plates of food in his hands. As he slowly lowered himself down to place them on the blanket, she scoffed through a laugh.

“Wow, I wonder if Picasso’s dinner of choice was also pop tarts and PB and J?”

“I assure you, I serve only the finest foods when hosting a candlelit dinner,” Klaus spoke slowly, enunciating in that delicious way he would when flirting with other girls. “Besides, I believe he was more of a macaroni and cheese, guy, sweetheart.”

She let her gaze flick to his lips, taking a gratuitous view of them in hopes that the candles didn’t expose her. “Well, I hope I’m not just another candlelit dinner during a snowstorm in that case.”

The smirk that grew on his face was hard to remove when he felt her eyes travel towards his lips. “Certainly not, Caroline. You’ll be the one and only.”


	19. A Dare is A Dare

**_Written for Klaroline Valentine’s Day Bingo 2020_ **

* * *

“You know, skinny dipping is vastly underrated,” he mused, shedding his flannel onto the concrete.

The blue light of the pool streamed across her face as she refused to smile, though her eyes were enticed by his stature. “We’re already breaking and entering. I don’t want to add public indecency to my rap sheet.”

“Oh, but the two go so well together,” he teased and shimmied out of his jeans. God, it was unfair how toned he managed to be. She had to remind herself to keep her eyes above his waist.

She avoided his competing hungry gaze when she lifted her thin-cotton shirt over her head, taking satisfaction in the way he watched her drop it. The moment he caught her attention, she was destined to be screwed that night.

_“As I live and breathe, Caroline Forbes in my town.”_

_His soft but thick voice always granted her a rather unhealthy sensation, not that she would ever admit to such._

_She rolled her head as she turned to him, her loose blonde curls cascading down her back while a few stray hairs caught on her necklace. He was still as dangerously handsome as her seventeen year old self had thought when she met him at the roller disco five years prior._

_“Your town?” she laughed incredulously, her hips finding themselves against the edge of the pool table he had been eyeing carefully. “Getting a little too big for your boots, aren’t you, Klaus?” Despite her smirk, she felt her breath catch at the sound of his name leaving her mouth. “Anyway, I don’t think owning a bar would be classed as owning the town.”_

_“Not just a bar,” he was quick to defend, his eyes creasing smugly, “the only bar that matters.”_

_She pushed out her lips, twisting them in confusion before she spoke, “Shouldn’t you be working?”_

_“Well, I don’t really have to since I own the place. My mere presence is enough work.” Klaus came around the edge of the pool table, trailing his fingers on the green cloth, until he was opposite her. “Now, the last time I saw you—”_

_She restrained a shiver at the thought._

_“—you were hightailing it out of a party to avoid a round of truth or dare. Too chicken, love?”_

Caroline had gotten a little ahead of herself, both looking for some fun and utterly distracted by his jaw, and now, she was regretting the childish game of truth or dare over a game of pool. Luckily, she had roped him into joining her in the experience of pool dipping.

In their staring match, he finally lifted his brows in a promiscuous question.

“What?” she shot back, swallowing the nerves that crept up her throat.

“Shouldn’t you be getting into the pool? A dare is a dare, sweetheart.”

His hard, yet intrigued, stare was frustrating her as she could feel him watch her enter into the Mystic Falls’ community pool. Luckily, the council had splashed for a renovation, implementing a slope into the pool and removing the rusty ladders that had once been so poorly screwed in.

Her blonde locks soon sunk into the water, ribboning along as she embraced the cool liquid surrounding her. She closed her eyes and smiled as she leaned back and pushed herself toward the middle. Her slowly opening lids revealed Klaus intently watching her from the pool edge.

“I agreed to do this on the condition you joined me, Klaus. Get your ass in here.”

She giggled at the quick surprise flashing across his face. Surely, she hadn’t been that much of a goody-two shoes in high school?

Klaus was uncharacteristically quick to join her —he had been known to make a lady wait—, taking the option of dropping in from the edge of the pool. She waded forward until she met him at the edge, his back resting against the wall.

“Surprised Miss Mystic Falls actually accepted your dare then?”

He chuckled softly, “Miss Mystic Falls… I was unsure you would, yes.”

“You shouldn’t have underestimated me, Klaus,” she muttered

“I never underestimated you, Caroline. I knew you would do well.”

And suddenly, they weren’t talking about the dare anymore. He analysed her expression, unable to read her as she inched closer until her chest grazed his. Her hot breath met his cheek as she leaned in. Though she paused, he thwarted her attempt to tease as he engulfed her lips with his own. Their hunger was matched as their tongues immediately fought for dominance. Despite the wish to continue, she stifled the embarrassment of the subconscious whimper that parted from her, pulling away after only a few moments.

Caroline bit her bottom lip gently, taking in his appearance carefully before speaking, “Your turn.”

Klaus cautiously raised his brow, his hands hovering in the water above her waist.

“Truth or dare?”


	20. Double 0 Caroline

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Hey, could you mayb write klaus and caroline going to a public supernarural event for a mission of some sort and having to pretend they are not together. With jealous Klaus wanting to rip the arms off every man that touches/dances/ talks to her?**

* * *

“Now remember, love, just hover nearby. Do not make contact yet,” was heard through her ear piece to her annoyance. 

With a passing smile at other attendees, she cleared her throat and looked aside as she replied with a brittle expression, “I know. You don’t have to tell me twice, Klaus.” The blonde took advantage of a nearby table of refreshments to get a good view of the target. She wasn’t thrilled to be a pawn in Klaus’ power play, but she was happy to demand a new dress in exchange for her services. She had to admit she enjoyed playing spy even if it was _really_ a job for Klaus’ minions.

Kai Parker had been a name running through the grapevine at a faster pace than Klaus had liked, his recent location too close for comfort. The witches in Baton Rouge were quick to inform Klaus of his arrival in the city, but their correspondence ended as quickly as it began. Thankfully, they soon heard of Kai sending a witch to New Orleans who would be attending a social event in the Quarter. Lafayette was his name and once Marcel mentioned the witch’s penchant for beautiful women, Caroline’s attendance was a no-brainer.

“First time at Clementine’s?” Caroline’s body tensed and though she was relieved to be faced with a random attendee, she was disinterested in the small talk. Her presence in the Quarter was minimal but she had finally taken up Klaus on showing her around, and that was enough to spread word of Klaus and ‘the blonde’. She eyed the stranger carefully; he was bulky, rugged, but not conventionally attractive. Werewolf, perhaps.

“How could you tell?” she asked, a bashful smile presenting itself while she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear.

“I had no idea what to do when I came to my first event either. It’s a little daunting,” his raspy voice lowered. He held out his palm and grinned. “Care to dance?”

She supposed it would be best not to arouse suspicion, and at least if she danced, she could move closer to Lafayette without catching the wrong kind of attention. A simple nod was all she gave, but the man’s eyes lit up before he led her to the middle of the floor. His right hand secured her hand and his left was quick to make contact with her lower back. She maintained a sweet smile with the mental image of ripping him apart if he pushed the boundaries.

They made small-talk and she hesitated at his deeper questions, making a note to remember her answers in the event of being asked again later. Her eyes strayed from him, hoping to catch a glimpse of the target, but he was tucked in the corner with a group of men and women. Her jaw tensed as she felt eyes on her.

With a gentle smile, her body pulled away from his and she parted with the excuse of needing a drink — _one with a better view._

Caroline took in a sharp breath as she circled the table, finally settling on a glass of champagne to mask any communication. “Stop lurking,” she mumbled into the glass as she glanced between Klaus and the target. If anyone was going to ruin the mission, it was Klaus and his stalker-ish actions around the event.

“I am not,” he replied churlishly, “but if you ask me, you were becoming a little too comfortable with that gentleman.”

She disguised her reflexive laugh with a cough, looking over her shoulder as she murmured her reply, “Jealous? I was surprised to learn there’s a werewolf out there who hasn’t been claimed by you.”

“Please. If he had transitioned when I was making my hybrids, he wouldn’t have made the cut.”

“Picky picky.” Caroline downed the rest of her champagne, rolling her shoulders as she looked across the room. Lafayette was wrapped up in a faux-deep conversation about the true meaning of Mardi Gras. Pass. “So,” she bit back a smirk, “do you like the dress?”

“Darling,” he paused to clear his throat, “I cannot wait to rip it off of you.”


	21. Eat Up

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Klaroline+ secret relationship and picnic. love ya!**

* * *

She could have skipped lunch and demanded they went straight to his apartment so he could unravel her all over his stupidly expensive sheets, but they hadn’t seen each other for a whole month and his suggestion of a lakeside picnic was incredibly thoughtful. She would have been a fool not to say yes to such a normal date.

They planned it carefully, making sure everyone’s schedule kept them away from Mystic Falls Park that afternoon. Was it questionable of them to keep their relationship a secret from their friends and family? Perhaps. But after one magical, drunken night at his place, they realised that they liked keeping everything under wraps; it helped them avoid nagging questions while they figured out what they wanted.

“This is beautiful, Klaus,” Caroline gushed, finding a small skip in her step when she had mentally decided on their spot. She placed her hands on her hips as she looked across the lake. He was quick to wrap his arms around her from behind, settling the picnic basket on the floor. Yes, her buying an actual picnic basket was a little…cliche, but she thought it looked cute!

With a chaste kiss to the back of her neck, he sighed, “You absolutely are, love.”

She giggled, wriggling away from his addictive grasp. “I’m not looking to get arrested today,” she retorted before she poked her tongue out. “Besides, I want you to be as pent up as possible by the time we go to your apartment.”

Klaus raised both his brows playfully, pressing both hands to his chest. “Would you really be so cruel to me?”

“Me? Cruel? I think you must have mistaken me with yourself,” she teased and plonked herself down on the blanket he so swiftly placed in reaction.

“Brother?”

Their bantering was brought to a halt and their faces became frozen. She widened her eyes at him and in a silent conversation she asked, ‘I thought you made sure no one would be here?’, to which he attempted to convey, ‘Kol never leaves the house! How was I supposed to know?!’.

“Well well well, what are my two favourite people doing at the park…together?” Kol sauntered to them, his signature devilish smile inhabiting his face. “You wouldn’t happen to be on a daー?”

“No!” they denied in unison, both of their faces uneasy. Caroline decided to take the lead, looking up at Kol and Klaus with her winning smile. “I was out for a little picnic by myself and your brother happened to be here, and we thought it would be silly to sit apart so I asked him to join me! What a coincidence, huh?”

Okay, it wasn’t her best lie.

“The biggest,” Kol responded, eyes gleaming at the two of them. “Well, I suppose three would not be a crowd in that case?”

“Not at all,” Klaus choked out to Caroline’s masked disdain. The two brothers sat onto the flowery blanket and Kol took it upon himself to rummage through the basket.

He hummed softly as he noted the items, “ _Two_ water bottles, a bottle of _champagne_ with _two_ plastic glasses, _two_ sets of sandwiches…” Kol bared his teeth and a fox-like grin, “and _two_ cupcakes? My, Caroline. You must have been hungry.”

The blonde giggled furiously, unable to muster up a better response than, “Just a treat-myself day!” She glanced at Klaus, whose eyes were burning into her with one request, but she would have to make it up to him later. “You can have one if you like!”

“How kind of you, Caroline dear! See, this is why you are my favourite! Is she not so wonderful, Niklaus?” his grandiose changes in intonation were grating as their lies were so obviously crumbling. He happily took one of the cupcakes, taking care to unwrap it before practically inhaling the dessert.

“Almost wonderful to a fault,” Klaus bit out. There were three things Klaus was looking forward to that day: seeing Caroline, making love to Caroline, and eating that cupcake.

“Oh, it is like **_sex_** in my mouth!”


	22. Be Lazy With Me

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**klaroline lazy saturday in bed? I know you don't often write smut but if you coul put something even light one it would be great.**

**(ADULT THEMES)**

* * *

Caroline couldn’t think of a better way to wake up than sprawled out with Klaus’ arms lazily draping across her chest. She sighed contentedly, her eyelids drooping as she curled against his bare body. Their trip to Paris was more than she could have ever dreamed of and they were finally taking the Saturday to rest off their adventurous days at landmarks and museums. Though he had been to every corner of Paris countless times, he obliged to any request or Parisian fantasy of hers. She reserved her thanks for moments like this, trailing her fingers along the grooves and textures of his scarred back before pressing a long kiss to his shoulder. She bit her lip at a particular scar she had herself inflicted when helping him remove a hallucinated white oak stake.

“Mm…if you are done being so perverse, love, I would like to take a trip to the bathroom,” his croaky voice muttered into the silk pillows. Her hand instinctively slapped at his shoulder, a protesting giggle escaping her as she allowed him to untangle from the sheets and her arms.

“Much appreciated.” Klaus wasn’t shy in letting his hand pass over her stomach and along her curves before prying himself from the bed. He was absolutely screwed during their trip, unable to keep his eyes or his hands off of the young vampire.

Caroline amused herself while he was absent by identifying the split ends forming in her hair; she really ought to take the opportunity to be transformed by a Parisian hairdresser. She would jump at the chance to experience the sophisticated styling and extravagant care of the establishment they often passed during their days out. 

It took her a moment to notice Klaus had been lingering at the threshold of the bathroom, watching her intently. Her eyes slowly rose from her poorly kept hair to his lean figure, appreciatively raking up and down every feature of him.

“I was going to suggest we take a morning stroll along the riverbank this morning, but I would much rather make love to you for the next foreseeable hours until you are screaming my name.”

Hearing him talk like that to her was like music to her ears. Who better to provide her with undivided attention than a thousand year old vampire who had seen everything there was to see but wanted her and only her? 

Caroline raised an eyebrow and simply rocked her left leg to the side with a curl of her lips. In return, he flashed a toothy grin before flashing to the edge of the bed and taking his time to kiss along her thighs as he prowled along her intoxicating frame.

Klaus took a pause once his tongue met her most inner thigh, fangs grazing along her pale skin. That small action was enough to have her releasing her own fangs in anticipation. His smirk was felt across her thigh and he soon made haste in crushing his lips against hers, her arms hooking around the back of his neck. She hummed softly into his mouth as he rolled his tongue against hers before a shivering moan took over when he slipped his fingers to tease her centre. She was almost annoyed at how quickly he could draw out her sounds of pleasure.

With a deep chuckle, Klaus pulled his lips from hers. “So, I take it there is no objection to my plans?”

Caroline’s lashes fluttered as she replied, “The only thing I object to is you stopping.”


	23. Truth be Told

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**if you don't feel comfortable about the whole Damon thing don't write it, but I would like that all of tvd / to reunite to fight some threat and to do that they have to trust each other and know each other so they all sit down and prepare some questions. One is 'Who is the person in this room if there is one, that for one reason or another you are sure you're never going to sleep with (first time or again) ' caroline says Damon.**

* * *

“Silas could pretend to be any of us at any time. We need to get real trusting with each other real quick,” Bonnie emphasised the importance of the situation at hand. They thought they had been rid of him all those years ago, but Silas’ reign of terror reappeared more concerning than ever as he began playing mind tricks again, posing as each and every one of them to an alarming extent. They had called in reinforcements and Klaus was back in no time alongside his sister Rebekah.

“So, what do we do?” Caroline asked as she sat down in her chair in the circle they had created. She avoided the heavy gaze of Klaus who sat opposite.

It was a little uncomfortable seeing Klaus in person again. The last time they were in each other’s presence, they were having sex against a tree and he promised to never return. As far as everyone else was concerned, they never saw each other, but it didn’t stop the frequent texts and calls over the years. It started off as awkward, a regrettable drunk dial, but…then it was kind of nice to talk to someone who wasn’t so involved with everything.

“We need some super personal facts about each other, something Silas would never know.”

“Like…who you would never in a million years, either again or for the first time, sleep with and why?” Elena posed the prompt as a joke, but the others looked amongst themselves in a sudden agreement.

Damon snorted, “Well, obviously Stefan.”

“Right.” Elena rolled her eyes. “Who in this room would you never sleep with…that is not related to you?”

“Fine,” Damon clicked his tongue and looked around. “Bonnie… She’s too much of a bro.”

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to take that as a compliment,” Bonnie responded with narrowed eyes.

“Bonnie.”

“Um,” Bonnie also looked around the room, “I guess Tyler. Obviously. Girl code.” She nodded at Caroline, who laughed softly, terribly aware of Klaus’ tensing expression across from her.

“Caroline, your turn.”

They all looked at Caroline expectantly while she stifled the impending sweat. Her pupils moved about. If she said Klaus, she knew everyone would see straight through her. She knew there was no time to be coy about the whole thing, no time to act like an embarrassed teenager. “Damon,” she shot out of her mouth before pulling her knees to her chest. “I…” she paused as her breath caught in her throat. “Not again.”

She watched Klaus’ eyes shoot like daggers between her and Damon and she began wishing she could just melt into her chair and be free of the sudden questioning. She should have just said Stefan and given the ‘we’re bros’ reason like Damon did with Bonnie.

“You and Damon?” Rebekah bursted into a laugh before sighing contentedly. “I’m afraid you’ll have to be a bit more specific on the reasoning though.”

“What? Why?” her voice was panicked, but she attempted to maintain her cool when she noticed Klaus keeping his eyes trained on her.

“Silas could pull that name out from thin air. We need specifics,” Matt interjected with his reasoning.

“Come on, love, don’t be shy.”

Her head turned sharply to Klaus, who was waiting with a stone expression. Okay, this was honestly becoming unfair. At this point, it seemed like they all just wanted some gossip.

“I mean…” Caroline groaned and batted her fingers into the air, “It’s not like most of you guys don’t know already.”

“Not all of us. Clearly.”

She glared at Rebekah, who soon grinned. She then glanced at Damon and he looked ever so sure of himself, unbothered by the situation at hand.

“Fine,” Caroline sighed and closed her eyes as she rushed out the words. “Because when we did it, he attacked me and fed on me.”

That did it. 

Klaus was up in a flash, his hands clamped around Damon’s neck as he slammed him into the stone wall of the Salvatore basement. Caroline winced as everyone stood up around her, 

“Uh, Barbie,” Damon choked out. “Get. Your. Dog… Off. Of. Me.”

Klaus’ eyes darkened and the veins under his eyes appeared as he growled, “No, I think I’d prefer we have a little chat, mate.”


	24. Love Alarm

_**ANONYMOUS ASKED:** _

_**kc+ soulmates au (I can't choose between AH or not so your choice) their lovely banter please.** _

* * *

It was released on a Tuesday. A revolutionary app that could tell you if your soulmate was within a large radius of you. The Love Alarm. It was an app produced by the government to increase child birth rates. There was a buzz about it when she was in high school, but nothing concrete. But after years of curating the perfect product, it finally was here. No one knew how it worked, but it was a marvel of technology that got you exponentially closer to finding that special someone.

The special someone for Caroline was most certainly not in front of her.

“Do you really have to take out the last copy? We all know you can afford to buy it,” Caroline berated, folding her arms as she glared at the thick red book in the hands of Klaus Mikaelson.

Klaus rolled his eyes harshly, shaking the book for a moment as he lorded over her. “Well, maybe I like using the library copy. I’m surprised you didn’t just absorb the material by looking at it since you’re attempting to burn a hole in it with your eyes.”

They had been fated to be in the same Intro to Business class and once the group projects had begun, it was game over. He was a smug, ungrateful, rich kid who expected every girl to just drop their panties at the sight of him. Even thinking about it sent her blood pressure up.

“Tell you what, sweetheart,” he leaned in close and she stared him down without so much as a flinch. His lips curled at her lack of reaction. “I won’t take it out.”

Her eyes narrowed. God, why did he have to smell so good? It was seriously confusing her emotions with her senses. “What’s the catch?”

“I’ll be sitting in my usual spot and you can wait for me to finish.”

Caroline scoffed, “But it could take you hours?! I’m not waiting on you.”

“Then I am afraid I cannot be helped if you leave and someone else wants the book after me,” he lowered his voice, the richness sending a shiver to her core.

She eyed him carefully, searching his face for any cracks of doubt. She wouldn’t hold it against him to be spiteful and give the book away while her back was turned. “Fine.”

And so there they sat, apart from each other on opposing tables. Caroline kept her eyes squarely on him while he read and took notes and glanced at her every so often with his devilish smile. She even debated whether a simple blink would test his ‘generosity’, as he would like to call it.

“It’s out!” Elena came speeding into the library with her twin Katherine in tow. “Love Alarm!”

Caroline’s stare was broken as her two friends sat in front of her, Elena slamming her phone onto the table with a giggle and Katherine maintaining her ever so cool expression. Katherine had already announced that she preferred not knowing about her soulmate and she would continue to let fate do its thing.

But everyone else? They went wild.

The previously quiet college library was now bustling with a feverish excitement over the key to such knowledge.

“Hayley dumped Tyler right on the quad when she found out they weren’t soulmates! It was BRU-TAL. I loved it,” Katherine suddenly became animated as she recounted the scene. It seemed that even someone like Katherine would get some use out of the app if only for entertainment purposes.

“Oh my god. Seriously? She trusts the App that much?” Caroline giggled in response, soon faltering as she glanced at Klaus, whose attention was removed from the book and on her.

“You should get it!” Elena shook her hands into fists, her eyes lighting up.

Caroline laughed again, tickled by her friend’s pure energy. With a playful sigh, she downloaded the app. It was already the number one download in the store within thirty minutes. Filling out the necessary forms, she paused a few times to consider her answers. 

_Welcome, Caroline Elizabeth Forbes. We are cross-referencing you with nearby users…_

She swallowed, watching the little heart on the screen beat as a ring expanded around it with a tiny bell sound.

_No Soulmate Detected._

“Oh. Well, that was anticlimactic.”

“I mean…it’s new, so maybe your soulmate just doesn’t have an account yet?” Elena reasoned, playing with the options on her phone.

“Huh?” Caroline scrunched up her nose. “I mean, maybe. It’s not like my soulmate is gonna be at our college anyway. They could be anywhere in the world!”

Klaus was watching her with bewilderment as she stared at her phone and chewed her lip. Her nervous mannerisms always sent a shock to his system. He found himself wondering what they were all chattering on about. ‘Love Alarm’ he thought he had heard.

After a quick glance side to side, he took his search to google.

_Government’s New Phone Application That Promises to Find YOUR SOULMATE Kicks off With a BANG!_

What? He stifled a brittle laugh at the preposterous nature of it all. Soulmates. As if there could ever be such a thing!

Still, it would provide some much needed amusement to try it out.

Klaus took another check of the people around him and proceeded to download the ridiculous app and fill out his details. 

_Welcome, Niklaus Mikaelson. We are cross-referencing you with nearby users…_

“You never know,” Katherine teased in her melodic and sultry voice as she rose from her chair. “Could be someone sexy!”

Elena giggled and pushed her sister out into the aisle. “We’ll see you later, Care!”

Caroline shook her head and set her phone on the table. Soulmates… No. If there was such a thing, maybe it was best to find it naturally. Love couldn’t be forced after all.

Before she could bring herself back to the task her friends had distracted her from, her phone lit up, and with a pairing echo from another phone, it rang:

_YOUR SOULMATE IS NEARBY._

_YOUR SOULMATE IS NEARBY._

She looked up, her head lifting sharply from her screen. And there he was, sat across from her. Her ‘soulmate’. Klaus Mikaelson. Shit.


	25. Objection

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**KLaus and Caroline working in a law firm together or against each other and they are constantly fighting and also kind of share a past and they find themselves stuck in a situation where they have to deal with their feelings.**

* * *

Caroline couldn’t help but squint across the courtroom at him with pure hatred. Klaus Mikaelson was nothing more than a dirty, lying pig, just like every other man she had been with. To think she had thought they had a shot! Hah!

Klaus strolled out in front of his table, gesturing grandly to Caroline’s table. “Miss Gilbert _clearly_ prioritised the pleasures from her brother-in-law over her husband, and so prioritised it over their dog as well.” He took a moment to shoot daggers at Caroline by way of a sharp stare before continuing, “It is no doubt those same selfish characteristics that had a hand in choosing her lawyer as well.”

Caroline scoffed and stood up with her hands planted firmly on her hips. “Objection, your Honour, the opposition is obviously trying to spite me and my client by being a _dick_.”

Klaus’ head turned lazily her way. “You would know all about spite, wouldn’t you, sweetheart?”

Judge Saltzman watched them with an eternally-set frown before interrupting their match, “Attorneys, approach the bench. Now.”

With a few grumbles from him and a mumbled remark from her, Klaus and Caroline approached the bench, careful not to stand too close to one another.

“Why is it your clients are more civil than their lawyers? One might think _you_ were the ones getting divorced.”

They both scoffed and Caroline folded her arms as they both shared an irritated glance.

“I’m calling a half-hour recess.”

Caroline gave a wide, yet frozen, smile. “Fine.”

“ _Wonderful_ ,” Klaus added and they both began to turn on their heels.

Judge Saltzman gave into a devilish grin, wagging his finger. “Ah-ah, not so fast. I am calling a recess for everyone but you two.”

“What?” the pair of them spluttered, glancing at one another with swift recoil.

“Seeing as you cannot put your differences aside and act like professionals, I have no choice but to force you to talk it out before we reconvene.”

Klaus’ incredulous laugh consumed the room and she rolled her eyes. He _had_ to be kidding.

“Half-hour recess,” Judge Saltzman repeated loudly and authoritatively.

He banged his gavel with one heavy strike against the sound block and removed himself from the small courtroom alongside the two clients, who seemed nothing but uncomfortable with the situation.

“Why do you have to be such an ass, Klaus?” Caroline spun towards him, her hair flipping over her shoulder with ease.

A brittle smile came from Klaus as he moved closer to her. “Perhaps I don’t enjoy finding the other side of the bed empty in the morning, love.”

“I thought you’d be used to it considering you do it to so many women.”

“What would _ever_ give you such an idea?”

“That…that British girl on your answering machine! You know I really thought you were such a great guy! What a catch after all the luck I’ve had! But no! I wake up after _incredible_ sex and some girl is leaving you a message all, ‘Nik, why aren’t you answering my texts? I miss you!’. No doubt your wife!”

At that moment, Klaus’ bewildered expression came tumbling down into an uncontainable laugh. Her dreadful attempt at an English accent was most glorious and hit all the right nerves.

“You know this _isn’t_ funny!”

“I— I know—” Still, he continued to laugh, only able to stop himself when he viewed her stone-cold expression and her frustrated stature.

“Then why are you laughing?!”

“It’s just,” he sighed in amusement. “She isn’t my wife, sweetheart. She’s my sister.”

It all made perfect sense. And it all made her look like the biggest idiot known to man. She just wanted to crawl up and die.

“Oh.”

Taking another step towards her, he leaned in with his breath hot on her cheek and whispered, “I am extremely happy to know you thought the sex was incredible, however.”


	26. I've Been Dreaming of a True Love's Kiss

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Kc+ sleeping spell and true love kiss? with Klaus being the one sleeping possibly?**

* * *

“He’s alive. He’s just asleep.”

Caroline let out a sigh of relief, quickly masking it with a brutal throat clearing.

“Why were you even with him, again?”

Caroline needed so dearly to escape from Bonnie Bennett’s scrutiny. She absolutely could NOT share the truth with her. Like, ‘hey, so you know how even though you hate him and I slept with him that one time and I PROMISED you guys he would never return? Well, the funny thing is, I started calling him…and then he started calling me…and then he started visiting me…once…a week…’. No. That would NOT go down well.

“Huh? Oh, well,” she fumbled her words, scanning the room with no intent to look her friend in the eye. “I was just in the woods and I found him.”

And the thing was, she really was just ‘in the woods’ when she found him lying there amongst the mud and sticks. But there was also the added fact that she was _only_ in the woods…to see him. It took a long panicked pace back and forth next to his lifeless body before she whooshed him off to Bonnie’s house.

The Bennett witch eyed Caroline for a long moment but blinked away any doubt to focus on the task at hand. “I have to hand it to the witch who did this. It’s pretty sadistic,” Bonnie mused, as she pulled the dangling crystal back into her grasp.

“What is it?” Caroline straightened her back and hopped off the nearby table. She had, had to keep herself from chewing her nails vigorously while Bonnie surveyed the body of Klaus in the middle of the attic.

“The spell can only be broken with ‘true love’s kiss’.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Her jaw was slack at the revelation, her eyes ready to pop out of their sockets.

“Seems like whoever made the spell was pretty damn sure of its sustainability.” Bonnie sighed and stepped away from the altar on which Klaus lay. “After everything he’s done, who could ever love Klaus?”

Well, maybe there was someone. She shook herself from the very thought and wrapped her arms around herself. “R-right.”

“Look, I’m going to look through my books and I’ll be back. Will you be okay here?”

“Uh— Yeah, yes.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about him being trouble anymore. Who knows what he was doing here,” Bonnie’s voice travelled, rising in volume as she walked down the hall.

Caroline only responded with a short sound of acknowledgement, wandering across the floorboards to stand before the incapacitated Klaus. His face looked as though it were full of warmth, yet his body was stone cold. She swallowed the nervous lump in her throat, taking in his familiar features. 

She was saddened at the thought of his voice in her ear as he asked her to name anything she wanted in the world, anything, and he declared he would make it happen for her, though he learned quickly it was now under her permission.

It was time to weigh up the delicate situation. If she attempted to break the spell — the idea of her lips on his sent a flutter to her heart —, she would have to own up to all of her feelings, to both her friends and Klaus, and that scared her. But if she didn’t? He would be stuck like this forever, and _that_ terrified her. And to add to the scenarios, he may not even wake at her kiss and she would feel like she had failed their relationship _and_ herself.

“You really had to be impatient by getting yourself cursed before I was ready,” she muttered and brushed her palm against his cheeks. Her lip quivered as she inched closer, positioning her neck to take the plunge.

Caroline took one last look at his sleeping face and reminded herself of everything they had gone through. She knew she loved him, but was it true love? Well…

Her lips were gentle as they made contact with his, and she closed her eyes in an effort to hold back the nervous tears that threatened her eyes.

She held her lips in place for a long moment, but she felt no change in his state, no flicker of life in his face. Releasing a shaky sigh, she pulled back and rested her head against his shoulders. Maybe it was all too soon… If they had only had the chance to… If only she—

“Sweetheart?”


	27. Shooting Stars

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Hey so I saw you are about to close the request and I am the one who aksed for the established Kc fluff. So tecnically I already got my slice of cake but If you could write them stargazing, maybe on the phone while they are in separate countries or on a roof somewhere with a blanket I would love it.**

* * *

“Okay, I’m on the balcony,” Caroline’s voice travelled through the phone as she stepped out into the midnight air, her fluffy slippers padding on the stone flooring. She tugged the panels of her silk nightgown into one another in an attempt to brush off the shivering temperature of Virginia’s fading Summer.

She had arrived at Whitmore early for her final year at the College, wanting to settle into living alone for the first time. Klaus had surprised her with an ostentatious apartment that overlooked the town, and though her instinct was to protest the gift, she just couldn’t reject the lavish hardwood floors and fully equipped kitchenette. In fact, she had already prepared to distract Elena and Bonnie’s questioning by making them dinner the night they arrived.

“Good,” Klaus murmured into his end. It had been a few weeks since she left New Orleans, reluctantly cutting her vacation there short when Matt called her back to town for some vampire-related help. It turned out that a new arrival was being a little too greedy with the town’s blood supply.

Once she had scared the baby vampire straight, she thought it would be best to stay rather than return to the Quarter, especially when Klaus had business to attend to in England; Klaus wasn’t too happy with the arrangement but he made do. He had taken to sending her sweet and every-so-often ‘frustrated’ messages every night. One night, she was so sure he would flash all the way across the ocean just to get a full view of the lingerie she had teased over the phone.

“Now what?” Caroline took to leaning against the stone railing, the phone trapped between her ear and her shoulder. “Shouldn’t you be asleep? Isn’t it, like, three a.m. in England?”

“Look up.”

A gentle laugh escaped her at his dismissal of her concern. “You’re not going to reveal you suddenly know how to fly, are you? Not that I hate dramatic entrances, but I didn’t plan on any visitors.”

“Nothing of the sort, sweetheart,” his warm, rich voice lingered on each syllable, and she found herself stifling a beat in the pit of her stomach. 

Caroline adjusted onto one foot, taking her phone in one hand in order to lift her head — it felt like an appropriate time to consider a headset for their long calls. A breeze blew through her hair when her eyes came into contact with the night sky.

“Wow… It’s beautiful,” leapt from her lips with an entranced gasp. The dark night was scattered with shooting stars, brighter than she had ever seen before.

“I thought we could watch the stars together, make the distance feel a little less…distant,” Klaus explained and she could have sworn for a moment she heard a hint of hesitation in his words.

Caroline giggled, fiddling with the stray curls clinging to her nightgown. “Excuse me? Is the big bad hybrid Klaus Mikaelson being mushy?”

There was a long pause, but his voice finally filled her ears with a tender hum, “Only for you, Caroline.”


	28. Paper Cuts & Band Aids

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Hey I just saw you drabble post, could you maybe do something where Caroline gets hurt and klaus is all cute and worried?**

* * *

“Yes, Elena, I’ll bring the papers with me,” Caroline assured her, smiling through her teeth. Once she heard a reluctant ‘okay’ from her friend, she hung up the phone and slammed it against the desk.

“Is she still giving you trouble?” Klaus asked sympathetically, his forehead creasing as he tended to a painting across the room. Klaus was staying with her while her mother was out of town and had done an unsettling-ly good job of convincing her that two high school seniors would be well-behaved if left in the house alone.

The biggest mistake on her sheriff mother’s part.

With a sigh, she settled back against the dining chair. “I thought I was difficult to work with, but apparently, group projects bring out the worst in her.” Caroline blew a wisp of hair from her forehead.

“I suppose we all have a darkness within,” he mused, pressing a thoughtful finger to his lips all the while Caroline glared into space. “Perhaps—”

“God!” Caroline exclaimed and began aggressively sorting through the mess of papers on the table. “You should have heard her!” Her laugh in between skimming pages was loud and dry. “‘Care, don’t you think the font on the opening page should be bigger?’ I could kill her and her stupid— SHIT!”

Klaus jolted up from his armchair as the cry of his girlfriend hit his ear drums, his pencils clattering to the floor. “What’s wrong?”

Caroline whined, clinging to her left index finger, “Paper cut. Probably shouldn’t have splurged on the thick paper.” She sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth as she attempted to suck the blood from her wound.

Before she knew it, Klaus was rushing towards her, taking her finger into his grip and cradling her cheek with his free hand. “Does it hurt, sweetheart?”

She blinked a few times, considering his sudden change in demeanour. He was never one to pay mind to scuffs and bruises. He didn’t so much as bat an eyelash when his brother Kol came home with a black eye after a skating accident, but now, his eyes were tensed with concern as he inspected the injury.

“U-um, yeah, I guess,” she replied, her brows knitting together as his gentle touch grazed her cut.

Klaus pursed his lips and nodded. “Where’s your first aid kit?”

“Under the sink…”

Caroline watched as he sped into the kitchen, the sound of cupboards slamming open and shut as he looked for the kit in question. Her eyes narrowed in bemusement as she heard bottles and cardboard packets slapping the floor followed by the sound of him muttering expletives.

Klaus finally returned with a number of small boxes in his arms, stammering as he sat next to her, “I wasn’t sure which plasters would be best—”

“Band aids,” she corrected him playfully.

She could only barely suppress a smirk when he looked at her with such a stern expression, his lips in a tight line. He seemed to be waiting for her to settle down, to which she yielded with a puff of her cheeks.

Klaus sorted through the varying band aids, seeming to consider the appropriate size for her wound, before picking out a thin, but long, pink band aid. She bit down on her tongue as she felt his hands take hers again. The gentle touch as he placed it over the wound seemed oddly intimate.

He took another careful look at his handy-work, straightening out any bumps in the fabric of the band aid. With a satisfied nod, he looked her in the eye, his own eyes softening. “How’s that, love?”

Caroline stared at him dumbfoundedly, but soon collected her thoughts into a sneaky smile. Pulling herself up and onto his lap, she addressed Klaus politely, “I feel much better, Doctor Mikaelson.”


	29. Hot Bread

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**hi!! absolutely love your writing hehe idk if you're taking drabble requests but if you are would you be able to do some kc banter based on this tumblr post: my wife is constantly mocking me for how lightly done I like my toast. “your hot bread is done,” she says to me. disgusting (via dykeceratops)**

* * *

So, it turned out that the big, bad, and confident to boot Klaus had one weakness. The common cold.

Caroline stood there with her arms folded, her foot tapping against their bedroom flooring. Klaus sat bundled in blankets with a glum look on his face that could only be akin to a wounded puppy. She held out her hand and he removed the thermometer from his mouth to place it in her care.

Taking a look at the number on the thermometer, Caroline’s lip quirked.

“It’s bad, right?” Klaus asked ever so meekly, his voice thick with his cold.

Caroline’s eyes flared and she elongated her speech, “Oh yeah… We might have to take you to the emergency room.” She rolled her eyes at his sudden drop in expression. “I think you’ll live.”

Though he looked suspicious at her deductions, he accepted them with a feeble nod.

“I’m going to go back to work in the kitchen now. Is there anything I can get you?” 

He may have been a drama queen, but she wasn’t intending to make him suffer more than necessary.

His head rolled against the pillow away from her, his voice almost wistful, “No, thank you.”

_Oh my god, is he serious?_ Caroline thought, restraining the scoff that longed to pry itself from her throat. She might have almost laughed if he wasn’t so pathetic. All those years of ‘take a chance’ and ‘I am the alpha’ and here he was lying in bed like he had been struck with the plague.

“ _Actually_ ,” he began, his voice raised under the cloud of sickness. “Would you make me some toast, sweetheart?”

She pressed her lips into a thin line and turned to nod at him before attempting to make her exit, but he had one more request.

“Just how I like it?”

Closing her eyes, she mustered a polite smile. If she hadn’t been Miss Mystic Falls, she may have never learned toleration for moments like these.

You see, early into their marriage, Caroline became aware of his…preference. 

It was more of a quirk than anything.

One morning, they had sat down for breakfast, and Caroline had prepared many components to their meal including a plate of toast.

_“It’s just a little overdone,” he muttered but shook his head._

_“It’s toast?” she laughed through her confusion, glancing at the golden toast._

_“It’s no bother, love. I’ll make my own.”_

_And with that, he kissed her on the head, tending to his task at hand._

Yes, she had thought perhaps the toast was bordering into burnt territory, but it wasn’t anything the scrape of a knife couldn’t remedy. Now, imagine her face when he returned to the table with a single piece of…bread?

_“Did you forget to turn the toaster on?”_

_“What? No,” he snorted quietly, picking up his uncooked slice of white bread._

_“But it’s…?”_

That’s when she became aware of Klaus’ idea of toast. Twenty painfully pathetic seconds in the toaster to produce slightly warmed bread.

She felt silly just sticking the slice into the slot. It was like playing pretend with a child and them making sure you ate the imaginary sandwich they had prepared. And trust her, she once served him bread straight from the packaging. He saw straight through it.

Caroline waited the allotted time before forcing the bread to pop. The dial didn’t include minus one. She set it onto the plate, slathering it in butter, something she was sure he would appreciate with such a heavy cold.

“Sorry for the _wait_.” Caroline came back into the bedroom, a smile plastered on her face. Placing the plate gently onto his quilt covered lap, she announced with bitter glee, “Your hot bread is done.”

Klaus shifted like it was the hardest thing he had ever done, sniffling as he rested against the headboard. For a moment, he inspected what was given to him, setting it on his palm to feel the temperature. And yes, she could feel his indignation at her playful jab — he always insisted that it _was_ toast.

“Thank you, love.” Klaus looked up at her and under his red nose, his lips spread into a tired smile, one so earnest she could honestly melt right on the spot.

Man, she loved that idiot.


	30. Groundhog Day

**GALVANIZEDFRIEND ASKED:**

**For the drabbles things! “would you do it all again if you had the chance?”**

**Thank you for this, Yokan! It’s only a small one but I hope you like it! I think the prompt was meant to be more angsty…but the fluff…it calls to me.**

* * *

They had been watching a movie when it came to her, that nagging question in the back of her mind. It was a comedy movie that Klaus had picked for her, claiming it to be the only one he ‘actually’ liked. ‘Groundhog Day’ wasn’t something she had watched before, but who was she to argue against a film that Klaus had genuine appreciation for past the grumpy ‘it’s alright’ he usually expressed?

Caroline found herself sitting upright as the credits rolled and she crossed her arms over one another. She was staring into the space in front of their satin-covered bed when he caught the cogs turning in her mind.

Klaus raised an eyebrow, looking up at her from his position against the pillows.

“Would you do it all again if you had the chance?” she asked simply, her eyes displaying no change in emotion. She sighed for a moment when he looked at her, dumbfounded, “All that time in Mystic Falls, your attempts to woo me, the sexual tension! Would you do it all again?”

He chuckled instinctively. It was always pleasurable to hear her acknowledge their road to romance, including their obvious sexual attraction that she so vehemently denied back then. He cleared his throat at the sight of her straight face. “That’s awfully existential of you, love.”

Caroline whined, slapping her hands against the sheets, “Come on! I’m serious!”

“Alright alright,” he relented with a tired raise of his hands. Even with her age, she could display her human immaturity so easily — not that he was complaining. He found her attempts at complaining about trivial things to be the most adorable sight. “No.”

“No?!” she gasped dramatically, her head turning sharply to accost him. “Why not?”

Klaus pressed his lips together, his eyes indicating the smirk that longed to appear. He slowly pushed himself up against the headboard and with a gentle force, pulled her onto his lap before stating, “Because as fun as the chase was, sweetheart, nothing compares to having you right now.”


	31. Like & Subscribe

**KLAUSCAROLOVE ASKED:**

**Okay what about this..........Klaroline are together (ofc) and the Mikaelsons are all intrigued/confused/entertained by a thoroughly modern Care. Like maybe she’s super into beauty gurus or acts like she has a YouTube channel when she takes off her makeup or maybe she practices twerking in the mirror or something. iDK this is maybe a little silly but I love to think of her with Klaus just being so 2020 and he’s like lol I love this goofball**

* * *

Klaus was inspecting the grout in hallway tiles when he heard her bright, ‘Miss Mystic’ voice travel through the house. He had been up early to sort out some ‘business’ with Marcel and left a note for her on the side table. He wanted her to sleep in after she had spent the past few weeks stressing over the interior design of their new home.

He wondered if she was on a call, but it was so early in the morning that he couldn’t imagine her wanting to chat before her morning coffee. He followed her voice to the bedroom, the raised intonations fluttering with her effervescent giggle.

Klaus squinted as he approached their bedroom door; her voice was booming through the crack. He gave it a gentle push. As he leaned against the frame, he thanked his lucky stars that he had remembered to fix the squeak in their door.

Caroline sat at her vanity, waving her hands about as she talked into her mirror, “So, guys, my promo code is ‘VAMPIREBARBIE2020’ and with that, you’ll get ten percent off!”

Though he furrowed his brows, his lips pressed together in amusement. He slowly recognised the animated stylings of one of the makeup artists that she watched on a site called ‘YouTube’. He had Rebekah explain to him, one day, about the world of ‘beauty gurus’ and she deemed it ‘frivolous but all the rage of this decade’.

His blonde vampire pulled an item from her unicorn-printed makeup bag, exclaiming, “Now, this mascara is my absolute FAVOURITE!”

He stifled a chuckle at his girlfriend and tilted his head as she began to apply it to her lashes. She made a few stretched out expressions with her mouth, but mumbled her commentary along the way. It was fun to see her in her ‘human’ element, giggling and chatting to the mirror like it was her best friend. He didn’t understand the surge of ‘social media’ and this ‘influencer’ nonsense, but it made her happy, and seeing her happy made him happy.

It was when she reminded the mirror to ‘like and subscribe’, and ‘signed off’, that he decided to make his presence known. “Having fun, are we, sweetheart?”

He had never seen her eyes go so wide, it was like a cartoon character. Caroline became statue-like, but her voice travelled past her frozen lips, “KLAUS!” She swallowed her embarrassment and turned on her stool. “You scared me!”

Klaus’ brows raised in amusement, his arms folding. “What were you doing?”

“I— uh— nothing!” Her head shook vigorously as she spoke, but his curling lips were indication enough that he knew more than he let on. Groaning with her eyes closed, she asked, “How long have you been standing there?”

Klaus took the opportunity to wander, displaying a slow pace that was painful to her as he grinned. “Oh, just long enough to be sold on that mascara of yours,” he mused, coming to a stop behind her. He leaned into her ear and asked in a hush, “What was your promo code, again, love?”


	32. Turn to the Left + Turn to the Right

##  _KCBINGO2020 - Fashion & 'How Bad Can It Be?'_

* * *

There had been some trouble in tracking him down, the reclusive photographer known simply as Niklaus. Caroline had been hoping to take her fashion line to the next level, but the elite fashion crowd had their reservations about the new, peppy blonde attempting to make it big. Coming from a small town like Mystic Falls didn’t exactly wow them.

Nonetheless, Caroline was prepared to do anything to get her name out there and if that meant tracking down a man who had gone off the radar ten years ago, then so be it. All Caroline had was a blurry photo from god knows how long ago in a club that had been shut down for years, but she did some thorough digging and here he was in a studio in Paris. The building was nothing special, but the music inside called her up the stairs to a wide open door.

It was a surprise to her when she was met with a mountain of paintings. Were these works of art the cause of his disappearance? Was he so lost in other interests that he abandoned the fashion industry? She pondered the idea with a flutter of her lashes, the beautiful faces of his muses staring back at her.

Caroline weaved through the maze of canvases, the sound of Beethoven’s Fur Elise floating through the loft. He had an eye for fashion like no other, but the brush strokes that curved along the subjects’ bodies were hypnotising. As she turned a sharp corner, a few stray editorial shots caught her eye, the unmistakable angle and lighting of Niklaus’ work hard to miss.

She stopped to admire them, her fingers grazing the edge of one photo. He knew just how to pose the model, how to show off the intricate shapes and colours of the dress. It was exactly why she wanted him to capture her designs, that and the fact that the whole industry revered him.

Caroline hesitated when she took the final turn. His back was facing her, his attention dedicated to the easel in front of him. She swallowed an instinctive breath when his shoulder muscles tensed. He was a lot younger than she had imagined.

“You’re trespassing,” he stated simply, his greeting catching her by surprise. “I suppose I _am_ to blame for leaving my studio so unguarded.” She slowly edged forward, bracing the shiver that ran down her spine when he turned to view her. His calm demeanour spread into an expectant grin as he questioned, “Who are you?”

Caroline stared blankly for a moment. The blurry photo she had in her possession definitely didn’t do him justice. His hair was a mess of sandy blonde curls and the stubble on his chiselled jaw was stained with red paint. She took a deep breath and began to recite her carefully crafted introduction, “My name is Caroline Forbes. I’m a fashion designer— well, trying to be one. Getting a spot in one of the big events is a lot harder than it looks and the organisers can be the biggest assho—“

Though Niklaus retained his smug expression, he sighed, “As captivating as you are, please get to the point.”

Caroline flushed at the tender notes in his voice. “Well,” she cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. “I want you to photograph my line.”

“Is that a request, sweetheart?”

She squinted, glancing around at the space they were in before she gave her response, “Yes?”

Caroline felt so wronged by her body when he rolled his neck and replied with ease, “Do you have any samples or sketches to show me?”

It took her a second to process his question, but her body followed the movements before her mind caught up. “Uh— y-yeah,” she stammered and pulled a large portfolio from her tote bag. She had debated just handing her phone, open on her photo album, but she wanted him to see just how complex her work was. She was also concerned about any stray lingerie shots that she had saved for the occasional thirst trap post.

Niklaus grasped the book, his fingers ever so lightly touching the tips of her fingers. She waited with one restrained breath as he flicked through her work. Some work he lingered on and she began chewing on her lip furiously, but most of it, he went through in a breeze. Did he hate it?

“I’ll do it,” he answered firmly before she could stammer out her fashion school-level explanations.

Caroline nearly jumped for a joy, but was quick to keep her feet planted to the floor. “You will?!”

“On one condition.”

“Anything.” Her mind was a buzz with embarrassment when he raised his brows. “Well— I mean, like, not _anything_ , but…” she groaned, “I’m just going to shut up.”

Niklaus held out her portfolio, keeping a firm grip when she began to tug on it. With his voice low and full of breath, he spoke, “I’d like you to pose for me.”

“Pose for you?”

He finally released the portfolio back into her care and his eyes twinkled at the shiver in her voice. “Yes.”

“For what?” Caroline pressed her lips together as she held the book close.

“Well, sweetheart,” he paced away from her, his feet slowly moving along the edge of the workspace, “as you can see, my time away from the fashion industry has led me to fill my time with other creative outlets.”

She nodded firmly. “Painting.”

And paint he did. Caroline could estimate his works to be in the hundreds as some stacks of canvases were positioned into archways. And those archways led only to _more_ canvases.

“Exactly,” he confirmed with a raise of his index finger. “Unfortunately, Paris has lost its muse for me.”

Her jaw fell limp and her eyes soon strained in confusion. “Seriously? _Paris_ doesn’t inspire you anymore?”

His upper lip peaked in amusement. “A frequent visitor, are we?”

“No, actually.” Her back straightened and she brushed a piece of hair off her shoulder. “It’s my first time in the city… First time out of America, really.”

“How interesting.” A disarming smirk laid its place on his lips. It was utterly inviting like he was challenging Caroline to let her mouth spin every tale in her head.

This only proved irritating to her. This mysterious man was so intent on remaining a mystery and she was adamant to reveal what was underneath. 

“What?”

“You took your first trip out of the country, out of the continent, for me?”

She wasn’t shy in her stare, her hard gaze unabashedly meeting his. “I want my work to succeed.”

“A fact that is very evident,” Niklaus commented before crossing his arms. “So, sweetheart, where do you stand on my proposal?”

“Fine. If it means you’ll photograph my designs.” She waited for his obliging nod and mused, “How bad can it be?”

Well, it turned out that Niklaus Mikaelson’s eye for beauty was not without its flaws. He had insisted on sketching her outline in a number of poses, each one ending with a sigh and a toss of the page. One twitch of her frame and he resolved to pull out the sketch and start again.

He had her sitting on a stool five feet from his own. When she had set her portfolio on a nearby table, he requested she remove her leather jacket. Such a simple removal, but she felt undoubtedly insecure. This was a man who had taken some of the most stunning editorial spreads known to the industry and she was just a small town designer.

Finally, Caroline huffed when he set aside another page. “I’m sorry. I’m not really model material,” her words came out as mutter, though she tried her best to remain composed under his eyes.

Niklaus’ chuckle had her unravelling a thousand possibilities and she was ready to fight against him to ensure he held up his agreement, but he just stared at her with that plump, easy smile. “Well, that’s why I like you.”

The laugh that came from her was garbled with surprise. “But I keep ruining your sketches?” she questioned, eyes blank and waiting.

“My photography… It all became to artificial and forced,” he hummed, setting the pencil and paper down. “Beautiful women, yes, but they could never capture the camera as I captured them.”

“So…? You drew them instead?”

Rising from his stool, Niklaus answered softly, “What designers…what the _industry_ wants and what I want are two very different things.”

Caroline was so captivated by his calm demeanour, but her breath caught in her throat every time he rolled the words off his tongue. He strolled alongside the canvases lining the workspace, never once taking his eyes off of her. 

She waited until he took those dangerous final steps towards her to question, “And what do you want?”

He looked upon her face with curiosity and she lifted her chin. What was she waiting for? She was finding herself attracted to the waiting, attracted to the few answers he gave.

Niklaus hesitated as he brought his thumb to her bottom lip, his eyes watching for any changes in her face, but she stilled. His breath was shallow and he muttered, “Honesty.”


	33. So What?

##  _KCBINGO2020 - So What? (AU - Canon-ish)_

* * *

Caroline surveyed the ballroom with a careful eye. It was much grander than the one in Mystic Falls, more romantic. The gold embellishments of baroque decor were beautiful and the red, velvet curtains draped effortlessly around the windows. People were moving so fast with their trays and decorations, that she become dizzy at the sight. The last time she had been to a Mikaelson ball, she was a bundle of nerves and irritation. But she was no longer that wide-eyed girl.

It had only taken her two years after their _altercation_ in the forest for her to crack. It was barely five a.m. when she woke up and just…lied there with a head of empty thoughts. There was nothing more for her in Mystic Falls but a tangle of high school-level drama that droned on and on.

So she was on his door stop by the end of the day with a list of rules and stipulations to her stay. Number one: she didn’t want to stay in his mansion; as vast as it was, she wanted to _really_ live by herself for once. Number two: if he wanted to see her, he would have to call her first. And number three: a tour around the Quarter was non-negotiable. Anything else that happened during her stay, well, that was fair game.

When he had sent an invite via minion to her apartment, she scoffed, but the idea of such a fancy ball was a tickling one to be sure and the dress he sent not long after her RSVP only solidified her attendance.

Seeing the other side of their events was an interesting visual. She hopped on her heels when she finally spotted the youngest Mikaelson with her hair locked in curlers, clipboard in hand.

“Rebekah,” she greeted in a formal manner, striding up with a calm smile.

“Caroline, you’re too early,” Rebekah stated, no attempt to acknowledge Caroline’s presence with any eye contact. “And if you were intending to help decorate, I’m afraid I must send you off. This isn’t a high school dance.”

“Rude,” Caroline gritted softly as she looked aside. “I know. I was just passing through and I thought I’d stop in. Something came up so I can’t come-”

“Well, Caroline, your presence will be missed,” she replied with a mindless droning before she passed on to berate a pair of waiters.

Caroline stood with a dumbfounded expression and found herself chewing on her lip with nowhere to go.

“You won’t be joining us, sweetheart?” Klaus’ rich voice struck her from behind.

“Jesus,” she muttered quietly, clutching her chest. She slowly turned to face him, scrunching her nose at his unfairly sculpted body under his henley. “Actually-“

“Was the dress I sent not to your liking?”

“No, I-”

He took a step forward, his reply thick with humour, “I was hoping to have a dance with you.” He raised a brow and the corner of his lips twitched upward. “You _are_ after all Miss Mystic and your title proceeds you with your dancing skills.”

He knew the right buttons to press. It was obnoxiously attractive.

Caroline scoffed and tousled her hair in frustration. “Do you people ever listen?”

“Not often.” Klaus shrugged, but conceded, “Tends to be our downfall.”

“If you would let me finish,” she participated in closing the gap between them, her feet taking her a few inches from his chest, “what I was _trying_ to say was that I’ll be late.”

She knew she was foolish to think that would be the end of it, a quick ‘okay, thanks for letting me know’, when his lips curled into a devilish smile. “And you thought this required a home visit? My my, Caroline, one might think you wanted to see me.”

Though she scoffed, she couldn’t help the faint smile that crept onto her face as he stared at her with his dimples and charming blue eyes. “So what if I did?”


	34. Two Night Stand

## KCBINGO2020 - Two Night Stand (Movie Fusion AU)

* * *

Caroline was about to make the perfect getaway. When Katherine had ‘sexiled’ her into signing up for a dating site, the ‘morning after escape’ was the furthest thing from her mind. She finally thought she was in the clear having left a ‘goodbye’ note on his fridge, but the moment she twisted the doorknob, the alarm next to his front door came beeping the countdown.

“Shit shit shit,” she muttered, spinning on her heel. She rushed to untack the note, crumpling it up into a ball that she dropped into the trashcan beside the fridge. Her tired legs carried her quickly back to the bed and she crashed under the covers just in time for the security alarm to scream out.

Caroline feigned a light snore, shutting her eyes tight as the body next to her jolted up. His name was Klaus and he was a frustratingly good time in bed. Over their messages, he was cocky, even more so when they shared a short video call to ensure he wasn’t a ‘sex obsessed serial killer’, but it was absolutely warranted.

Klaus hauled himself up off the bed and twisted his body to view her. His throat was dry, the ragged sound of his voice ever-appealing, “Did you sleep with your coat on, sweetheart?” He squinted her way, his shirtless frame standing over the bed.

“Uh-” Caroline grimaced, but made her best excuse, “I get cold?” She widened her eyes and pointed in the direction of his kitchen. “Just get the intruder!”

He nodded absentmindedly and dragged his feet along out of the bedroom. With a few beeps, the alarm was silenced. When he returned, she tried her best to act natural, pretending that she was tying up her (already tied) shoe.

“False alarm,” he murmured and proceeded to slump onto the bed.

“That’s _so_ weird,” Caroline whispered, her pitch high. She stretched her hands against one another and winced. “It’s a bummer that it woke us up, but I should get going.”

Klaus tilted his head towards her and his lips spread into a closed grin. “Is that so?”

“Mhm…” She nodded slowly, avoiding his gaze. “I had a blast so thank you for…having me.”

“You’re very welcome.” He slinked off the bed and rounded the end of it to meet her. “Would you like to stay for breakfast…or do you usually leave before?”

Her face twisted in confusion. “Usually? I don’t- This isn’t something I do.” She folded her arms before adding, “This is my FIRST time, in fact, sleeping with a stranger like this.”

“Of course,” he replied innocently, throwing his hands up, but smirked. “But it’s nothing to be ashamed of, love. We all have one night stands.”

“Well, I don’t,” Caroline spat and her face fell sombre. “I’m just-”

He was quick to finish her words, his eyelashes batting, “Working through some feelings, correct?”

“Exactly!” She presented a wide, but irritated smile, her arms swinging out before she poked a finger against his chest. “But you are giving me the BIGGEST judgy vibes when _this_ ,” she gestured between them, “was a team effort.”

“I swear that I pass no judgement,” he rose both hands in defence. “I think it’s very attractive that you took the lead.”

If he had expected her to be flattered, he was sorely mistaken. She bit out, “Are you implying I’m a slut?”

His eyes went wide. “Absolutely not!” Though his face had been apologetic, his lips soon stretched into a smirk. “You…are just a girl who came over to a stranger’s house at midnight and had sex with him…” he looked away thoughtfully, “if only I could place a word for it.”

“ _Wow_!” she gave a humourless exclamation, throwing her head back. She moved past him, storming her way to the front door. “Screw you!”

Klaus followed behind closely, his pained expression of no concern to her. “I apologise. I was only joking.”

Caroline spun towards him as she came to the door, her hair nearly slapping him. “ _You_ are the one who invited _me_! Remember?”

“Hm, well, we’ll agree to disagree,” he murmured and tilted his head side to side. He then dismissively waved his hand. “It’s all irrelevant in any case.” When her expression of disdain refused to cease, his face softened. With a charming smile, he took a step forward and implored her, “Come on, love, stay and I’ll make you perhaps the finest breakfast of one night stands.”

“I’ll pass. Maybe save that for another girl,” Caroline replied bitterly, tightly wrapping her arms inward. She performed a smile and readied her hand on the doorknob. “Have a nice life!”

“Caroline,” he called with an outstretched hand, “I had no intention of upsetting you.”

“But you did, Klaus.” Her eyes pierced him and she soon scoffed, “ _Klaus_? What is that? It sounds like the name of an old man! And you’re judging me?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle, resting a hand in the pocket of his pyjama pants. “Well, it comes from _Niklaus_.”

Her eyes flared and she gestured wildly. “Oh, that’s SO much better!”

“Let’s not be petty, love,” he sighed, rubbing his neck.

“Huh! Petty!” she said with exasperation. With a firm voice, she huffed, “Fuck you.”

“Alright,” Klaus relented, a humorous drawl coming from him, “fuck you too, Caroline.”

Caroline’s jaw set tightly at his reply and she took her cue to leave. After slamming the door behind her, she bounded down the stairwell. It was freezing and she was certainly regretting her choice of jacket.

When she finally made it to the exit, she intended to push down on the handle and stomp her way along the snowy streets of New York, but her body collided with the door and…nope.

“Ow, shit!” Caroline gasped, the thud of the collision ringing out. With darting eyes, she attempted another push and peeked out of the frosted window to find a tall barricade of snow. “No, this is not happening..”

“Trouble?”

She shivered at the sensuous, familiar voice, turning to see him on the step with a basket full of laundry.

“The door’s stuck,” she grumbled with a flick of her wrist.

“You’ve never dealt with a little snow before?” Klaus’ eyebrows rose in amusement. He placed the basket on the floor and stepped up. “I’ll give it a go.”

Caroline moved aside and tapped her finger against her elbow as he made his own attempts. He shouldered up against the door, a few thuds making their predicament clear.

Klaus slowly turned towards her and hummed, “Seems as though we’ll be stuck here for some time, sweetheart.”

Caroline felt pulled to look into his charming blue eyes, pursing her lips. “I guess so.”


	35. Tip-Toe

##  _KCBINGO2020 - 'You're Bleeding!'_

_([Let Me Taste Your Flavours extended](https://klarolineagainnaturally.tumblr.com/post/621736370577244160/kcbingo2020-klaroline-events-pool-party-let))_

* * *

Tyler Lockwood hosting a ‘simple’, end of summer pool party had turned into a no-holds-barred rager before she had even arrived. It was barely five p.m. and people were already drunk, rambling on about staying ‘friends forever’. She crossed paths with a few familiar faces including Katherine, who made some off-colour remarks about deflowering one Matt Donovan (she hated to break it to her that he was long since ‘deflowered’). Katherine was also quick to note her tardiness before slinking off to find another keg. **  
**

Caroline had wanted to be there but had gotten caught up with her Dad, whose monthly, guilt-induced dinner kept her from being on time. After all, she was off to Harvard in two weeks and most of them would only interact when Christmas time hit.

She rounded the pool when she spotted her best friend chilling by the edge, his interest in the groups of people batting an inflatable ball across the water non-existent. A reflexive sigh came from her as she watched him turn his head her way and she smiled.

They were always hard to define. They weren’t shy about flirting but they never crossed that thin line between friendship and romance. They had come close a few times, especially with their time left together dwindling, but had never quite made the leap.

“Mikaelson,” Caroline finally greeted as she came to a stop behind him.

Klaus tilted his head back to view her and reciprocated, “Forbes.”

“Didn’t expect to see you making an appearance at a pool party.”

He chuckled, slowly pulling himself up and out of the pool. He gladly let the water drip off his abs, though Caroline scowled at the sight; he knew exactly the interests of his audience.

As he slipped into a pair of sandals, he replied, “Oh, sweetheart, I thought you knew better than to expect anything of me.”

She tempted the space between them, her arms swaying. “So should I expect you to stay until the end or is that wishful thinking?”

He was the kind of guy who treated these events as a ‘drive-by’, reluctantly making the mandatory appearance at Caroline’s request and taking advantage of the free alcohol only to leave before people got too rowdy.

“A bit of wishful thinking never hurt anybody,” Klaus mused, his lips pursing in amusement. He then gestured to the tables behind them. “Jell-O shot, love?”

She finally broke from his space, her hair bouncing with each step. “I need about a bajillion after that dinner with Bill,” her voice threw behind her and she passed a shot to him.

Klaus accepted it, knocking it against her plastic shot glass before asking, “That bad?”

Caroline dug out the jello with her index finger, shuddering at the overwhelming taste of vodka as it entered her mouth. “He’s moving,” she garbled out before shooting a dead-pan look his way, “to Arizona.”

Klaus chuckled and mirrored the consumption, setting their shot glasses down onto the table with a graze of her hand. She baulked at the sudden sight of his arm, a bloody cut running across his skin.

“Klaus, you’re bleeding!”

He took a quick glance and shrugged. “I must have knocked against that shoddy pool wall. It’s no bother.”

Caroline scoffed with disbelief, “You could get, like, infected or something! Do you really trust our classmates to be the most sanitary?”

When he rolled his eyes, she grabbed the nearest napkin and bottle of vodka. She led them off to the edge of the property where a stone bench stood amongst Carol Lockwood’s litany of red and white flowers and forced him to sit.

Caroline straddled the bench and scooched forward as she began wetting the napkin with the spirit. Klaus let out a soft groan at the sensation of the alcohol against his wound and she twisted her lips in frustration.

“Don’t be such a baby,” she murmured, startled by the way he looked down at her in reaction, his eyes hardened.

“I’ll remember that when you need my medical assistance.”

Caroline locked eyes with him, challenging his eyebrow raise with a quirk of her own brow. “That won’t happen ‘cause unlike you, I’m responsible,” she taunted and threw the napkin at his face.

Klaus reacted in false bitterness, his amusement seeping through as he tossed the napkin aside. “Well, sweetheart,” he began with a sigh, breaking eye contact to look off into the distance, “anything left on your summer bucket list?”

“Just one,” she squeaked simply and climbed off the bench.

He watched her with a closed grin as she wandered amongst the trees. He waited for a moment before following her, suddenly keeping a close distance that made her shiver with excitement. “What’s that?”

Caroline came to a stop beside a large oak tree, resting back against it with her hands locked behind her back. She bit her lip and dismissed the nagging insecurity as she boldly declared, “Kiss a Mikaelson.”

She didn’t miss the flicker of surprise in his eyes before he cleared his throat. He inched forward, his head bowing as he mused, “I’m sure we’ll have time for that.”

“Good ‘cause I’ve been waiting all summer to kiss Elijah,” Caroline sighed out in relief, giggling softly.

Klaus glared down at her and pressed a hand to the bark beside her head. “Very funny,” his low voice tickled her senses.

They paused. She took the moment to let her stare flick generously between his clouded blue eyes and his plump lips. It was hard to be so confident whenever they tip-toed the line. They could joke all they liked, but at the end of the day, she was putty in his hands.

His tongue ran over his bottom lip and she swallowed silently as she felt his free hand rest upon her bare waist. She wasted no more time and captured his lips, unconcerned as his wet body pressed close. A rush of air exhaled between them as he welcomed her hot kiss. Her fingers gripped tightly amongst his brush of sandy curls and she whimpered. He groaned into her mouth in response, the hand on her waist wrapping tightly around her as his other hand fell gently against the curve of her neck.

Caroline jolted at the brush of his fingers, drawing circles under her tight tank-top. He was so unrestrained, but careful nonetheless, and he slipped his tongue into her mouth. She moaned, her knee rocking dangerously into his hardening crotch.

When they finally broke contact, their stare was unmatched in its pull. “Wanna get out of here?” Caroline whispered, her breath hot against him.

“Are you sure?” Klaus’ voice was low and he brushed a finger along her jawline, delighting in her shivering breath. “Because the moment I get you in my bedroom, I’m not letting you leave until the very last second.”

She broke out into a wide smile, only allowing him a careful nod in response. They had a lot of wasted time to make up for after all.


	36. A Good Time for a Bad Day

**BELLEMORTE180 ASKED:**

**Prompt: Klaus and Caroline are married (AH) and Caroline is having a bad day. Klaus listens and tries to make her feel better like a good husband.**

* * *

When Caroline had slumped onto the couch, pillows grooving against her body, she was ready to set up camp. All day, her _loving_ boss, Damon Salvatore ( _the_ asshole entrepreneur), had hounded her for updates upon updates on distributor negotiations. She was seriously questioning her sanity in taking the job in the first place, but she had been fresh off redundancy and Stefan’s brother was kind enough to offer her work. _Kind_. Yeah, right.

“Rough day, sweetheart?”

Her fingers were pressed firmly to her temples when she heard the calming sound of her husband from above. She let her eyes travel upward to see Klaus’ dimpled smile and sympathetic swirl of blue staring down at her. She wouldn’t indulge him with such flattery but his simple presence soothed her.

Caroline could only press her lips into a tight smile in response, but he leaned down and set a kiss to her forehead. It was soft and comforting; just what she needed. Her eyes followed him as he came around the front of the couch, his ragged henley splattered with shades of blue and pink.

“Care to talk about it?” he pressed on, taking the space that she began to free up for him.

She pulled her knees into her chest and fiddled with the edges of her shirt as they dangled onto her lap. “I don’t know…”

Caroline sighed softly and twisted her lips. She hated to come home and ruin his tranquil bubble of artistry. At least before, she liked her job _even_ on bad days, but now she felt like she was a walking, talking rain cloud. With her arms folded tightly and her gaze tentatively running along their laps, she faltered.

“It’s just,” she took a deep breath before flooding his ears with every irritation in her bones, “I know he’s my boss and I _know_ he didn’t have to hire me, but I’m smart, dammit!” She slapped her hand against a cushion, the gentle thud pricking his lips into a soft grin. “I didn’t graduate with honours to be running errands for a man who can barely tie his shoelaces!”

It was only a parting of his lips that she allowed before adding, “And also, calling me ‘blondie’ was, like, an annoying, ‘ _oh, you_ ’ thing when he was just Stefan’s brother, but now?” She paused to share a deadpan expression, her subconscious barely weighing in on how cute his thoughtful reaction was. She huffed and pinched her fingers together, “I am _this_ close to throwing my coffee in his face!”

Klaus nodded slowly, ruminating on her abrasive words with his arm outstretched behind the pillows. Rolling his head towards her, he teased, “Want me to knock a little sense into him?“

She embraced the mischievous glint in her eye that he soon shared and edged closer. “Are you saying you would beat up Damon Salvatore for me?”

He did his part in closing the gap, trapping her chin between his thumb and index finger. “I would beat up the Queen of England for you, sweetheart,” he muttered softly and pecked her red-tinted lips.

Caroline hummed into his warm kiss, happily adjusting herself as he pulled her into his lap. With his arms planted gently on her waist, fingers brushing against the ripples in her shirt, he grinned.

“Besides, I can take that trust fund wanker,” his whisper lingered along her skin.

She shivered into his touch, generously grasping his his wild curls. “Mm…it’s tempting.”

Klaus left one hand on her waist as he trailed his free fingers along her cheek. His deep blue eyes had her locked in a stare, searching her for every inch of her attention. “Caroline Forbes, you are the most incredible, strong-willed… _intelligent_ woman I have ever met. Don’t let Damon Salvatore of all people let you think otherwise.” His gentle smile only aggravated the flush in her face but he soon took on a serious expression. “But if he calls you Blondie once more, I will happily be the one to take him out for you.”


	37. Lovefool

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Drabble idea when they open: Klaus being a lovesick dorm around Caroline and everyone else can see it, BUT HER (canonish or AUAH, however you like!)**

* * *

“Okay, what did you do to him?” Rebekah arrived at the table, guns loaded, with Katherine in tow. They landed most clumsily on the chairs in front, their bodies landing with a thump and their bags spilling onto the surface.

Having been lost in the wondrous studies of Freud (who _honestly_ , needed to chill out), Caroline was in a daze as she lifted her head from highlighting _another_ passage in her book. “Huh?”

“Spill, Forbes,” Katherine demanded, shutting the thick textbook for her friend. It wasn’t like she had finals any time soon…

Caroline resisted the groan at her lost page and settled in folding her arms. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she stated innocently. _Really_ , she had no idea, but whatever it was, she was ready to plead the fifth. With Rebekah and Katherine as interrogators, no prisoners would be taken.

Rebekah proceeded to take the floor, her voice thick with distress, “My brother has turned into a completely different person since you accepted his date proposal.”

They both held the expression of someone who had seen a ghost, but knowing her friends, the chances of it being such a thing were low. She may be a drama queen, but _they_ could compete in the Drama-lympics.

When they continued to look at her incredulously, Caroline faltered. “Guys,” she laughed softly, brushing her curls away as she rested her cheek against her palm, “I seriously doubt he’s _that_ different. He’s just…Klaus.”

Rebekah refused any humour, her jaw set and stare serious. “Caroline,” she started firmly, the foreboding dripping from her voice, “this morning, he kissed my head and called me ‘sweetie’.” Sensing her point wasn’t well made, she slammed her hands onto the space between them. “Sweetie, _Caroline_!”

Katherine held a pausing hand against the table, her lids practically taped below her brows. With one index finger raised, she recounted, “I bumped into him in the hallway and _he_ apologised to _me_!”

Caroline rolled her eyes, pressing her grin tightly before she could laugh. It was true that Klaus wasn’t the most affectionate with his family members, but one couldn’t deny he loved them. Perhaps, she thought, he was just ready to show it now, and if she was the one to bring that out of him, well, she wouldn’t mind the credit. And regarding Katherine, middle school grudges could only last so long!

She found herself glancing across the room amidst their diatribes and it was in that moment that Klaus arrived in the library, an uncharacteristic energy in his every step. She couldn’t even pretend to be listening to her friends drone on about him as she followed his movements. He was hypnotising to watch with his usual henley sitting loosely on his body and wolf-tooth hanging from his neck.

Klaus turned the corner of a bookcase, his eyes sweeping across the tables. He soon greeted her from afar with a smile, his dimples to die for, and the happy sigh that escaped her was unforgiving. She reciprocated the mischievous twitch of his lips with a quirk of her brow as he gestured to the exit.

Okay, maybe he was a little…lovesick.

But so was she.


	38. How Did We?

**DUMB-BITCHCULTURE ASKED:**

**Dancer!Caroline dreams of being a professional dancer in New York. Dated from high school (sophomore year) but broke up a year after graduation over a misunderstanding (well if you hate mystic falls so much, why don’t you go back to New York and stay there) Caroline went to college in New York, Klaus had to stay because Henrik was sick So he didn’t go with her, they try long distance They argue and leads to C thinks K dumped her and K thinking she left him C goes back home when her mom gets sick**

* * *

Caroline knew she couldn’t linger on for too long. No matter how intently she stared at her mother’s sleeping frame, the nauseous reality that was Elizabeth Forbes’ dwindling health never waned. She tried her best to choke back the emotions, but she would just gasp for breath and find herself crumbling once again.

With weighted steps, she removed herself from the room, pausing outside the door, palm against the handle, to collect herself. Her mother was as optimistic as someone with a month left to live could be. Caroline had made the decision to take her leave from the Nutcracker before the season ended when her mother delivered the news over voicemail. She had spent so long getting to New York, but had no qualms in leaving it behind in an instant.

Liz wasn’t keen on leaving the house, her energy reduced by the simplest of activities. Instead, Caroline sat with her as she thumbed through the pages of their family photo albums. There was something bittersweet about seeing the former chief of police reduced to a frail reminiscence of the good old days. Her mother hadn’t been the most present figure in her life and every strangled smile from her at the turning of a page indicated that regret.

At the chime of the doorbell, Caroline finally released the handle and carried her feet reluctantly down the steps. Every creak struck her insides with the looming event on the horizon. She could barely breathe by the time she reached the bottom but the sight in front of her forced a rush of air into her lungs.

Through the glass pane of their door, draped only by a thin curtain (a design Caroline had regularly questioned in regards to their safety), stood the familiar figure of one Klaus Mikaelson. He was a man she had once pinned as the love of her life, but after the sour ending to their relationship, she had begged fate to have other plans.

She knew that in her frantic errands around town, she was bound to run into him, but she hadn’t expected him at her door. Five years had changed him a great deal. Before, he was an falsely secure, fresh-out-of-high-school young adult with no fashion sense aside from the splattered paint that decorated his clothing, but now, he waited for her with a firm posture, his lean figure dressed in an unmistakably _Klaus_ shirt. Even under the new jacket he wore, he was unwilling to give up the henleys, but it seemed to suit him much more than it once had.

Caroline braved the eye-contact that he willed from her. There wasn’t much she could do in the way of avoidance as she came up behind the glass. His hands were clasped behind his back and the way his throat bobbed as she unlocked the door didn’t go amiss. She pulled it back a few inches and glanced down, hoping to compose her bubbling nerves.

“Hi,” she barely whispered, her thin fingers tight around the door’s edge.

He released his hands from behind his back, his parted lips struggling out his words, “I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for me to turn up like this but I hadn’t seen you in town and—“

“No,” she quickly shook her head and held the door open for him, “it’s fine. Come in.”

His shoes were gentle against the floorboards, but in the silence, they were all she could focus on. She waited until he turned on his heel to shut the door, jiggling the lock until it clicked.

“How is she?”

Her heart couldn’t bare the sympathetic notes of his voice, but she inhaled until a smile was present on her face. With her lips pressed, she turned to look at him.

“She’s…doing okay,” Caroline answered halfheartedly and shrugged her shoulders. She pulled her elbow in by the hand, chewing on her lip as she watched him take a tentative step forward.

“I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.”

Although he said it with sympathy in mind, she knew what he really meant.

He didn’t have to say a word. It wasn’t the first time they were finding themselves in dire circumstances.

Caroline had dreamt of dancing in the big city from a young age; it was the reason she did most things. She had seldom shared the dream with others, but as she fell for Klaus, her dream was starting to see him involved. And he had been prepared to go with her, but with his youngest brother’s declining health, it wasn’t what he wanted by graduation. It was why he stayed and why he hated her for leaving.

When her bags were first packed for New York, they said their brittle goodbyes as though their issues were gone, but long distance was the slow killer of their relationship, culminating in a war of words on her first trip home.

_Well, if you hate Mystic Falls so much, why don’t you go back to New York and stay there?_

“Klaus…” she mustered softly from within, taking slow steps to close the gap.

“I should have…” his voice trailed into silence as he looked to the ground. Though they lingered in the quiet, he finally directed his gaze at her pained, blue eyes. “I should have said it sooner.”

Before Caroline knew it, he was wiping a tear from under her eye with his calloused thumb. She sighed into his grasp, wrapping her arms around his midsection as he instinctively brought his own arms around her neck. He pressed a chaste kiss atop her head before resting his chin on the spot.

With a heaving heart, she asked, “How did we end up like this?”


	39. The Things You Do

**HER-LAST-LOVE ASKED:**

**Are your drabble requests still open? I think I meant to send this to you earlier but accidentally sent it to someone else who reblogged one of your drabbles! Anyways, if it is still open or haven’t done it yet- “I did it because I love you”**

* * *

Klaus’ grey wolf tore its jaw from the throat of another, now deceased, wolf and ruptured into transformation. Caroline felt her heart drop when she watched him fall to his knees in the middle of the ring, his eyes rolling disturbingly as he collapsed. She knew she should have left it alone, shouldn’t have told him about the demon that took her family heirloom. She would have done it herself somehow.

But there he was having fought for her and clinging on for dear life. Caroline cried out as she rushed onto the grand stage. She draped herself over his battered, naked frame, her fingers painting over his muddied cheeks. With her eyes falling shut, she whispered a panicked spell of healing, praying to god the spirits would grant her this act.

The stirring of his consciousness became present and she sobbed with relief. She glanced over his face as he began to open his eyes. Their worlds were viewed by the mundane as so intertwined, but the dangers between them were threatening their lives daily.

“I got your necklace back,” Klaus celebrated lazily, his palm opening out to reveal the heirloom in question. The blood of both victor and loser stained the obsidian crystal nestled in its ornate casing.

“You could’ve been seriously hurt!” she reprimanded him, her palm slapping gently against his bruised chest. “Why would you do that?”

He committed to his charming smile, breath exhaling from his nose as he confessed, “I did it because I love you.”

Caroline sniffled and wiped the stream of involuntary tears that ran down her cheek. “What?”

“Caroline,” his breathy voice tickled the air between them, “I…love you.”


	40. Just Like That

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**I’ll take pure KC dry humping from you too 😂**

**(NSFW-ish)**

* * *

Caroline was bored. Like…more bored than usual. And there Klaus was, sitting in his green, velvet armchair, engrossed in his architectural sketches. She knew the right thing to do was leave him be, but before she could even assess her actions, she was slinking across the room.

As she stood over him, her arms draping lazily across the arms of the chair, he lifted his head and raised one brow. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” she crooned as her body nestled safely atop his lap.

Though he groaned, Klaus’ amusement seeped through his tough exterior. “Sweetheart, I have to finish this design by tomorrow.”

Caroline took hold of his sketchpad with one hand and sighed into her reply, “But you’ve been working so hard; I thought you deserved a break…” Her perfectly manicured nails grazed along the back of his neck, toying with the unruly curls he had yet to have trimmed.

“I think we have different ideas of a break,” he hummed and grasped Caroline’s waist firmly, eliciting a tiny squeak from her lips. “If we start something, I won’t allow any unfinished business.”

She giggled quietly at his ‘attempt’ of dissuasion. “Would that be so bad?”

When he offered no argument in return, Caroline grinned and placed his sketchpad on the side table. She settled her now free hand behind his neck, running both sets of fingers through his hair. She rocked gently in his lap; the tensing of his hands against her waist was too delicious not to exploit.

“Caroline,” he stated in warning, the roll of his tongue tickling her senses. As she tested his limits, his eyes were unravelling with darkness.

“Klaus,” she offered in return, mimicking his low intonations. 

Klaus sighed humorously, his hands peeking under her shirt and thumbing at her skin. With a slow bat of her eyelashes, her blue pools urging him on, she rolled into his lap. He groaned, his gaze intensifying at the involuntary admission. She grinned at the sensation of his cock hardening beneath his pants.

Caroline wasn’t in the business of an end-goal, of a release, but in entertaining herself as she teased him relentlessly. They had been together since senior year of high school, but she still held so much power over him years later and vice versa. With every movement against him, she felt his fingers dig into her taut skin. Her arousal climbed as he commanded her eyes with his own.

Klaus’ breath hitched and he grunted to her utter delight. Caroline brushed her lips against his jawline, feathering kisses with every gyration. She felt him buck his hips and mewled in appreciation.

It was dizzying to her as he stole a rough kiss from her lips and she returned for more, her moan reverberating through his mouth. She shivered when his left hand travelled to her ass, feeling her over the fabric of her shorts.

Caroline couldn’t deny that she was feeling hot and bothered the more they rolled against one another. And Klaus was _never_ shy when they made out, his tongue demanding entrance past her lips. She smirked into his kisses, now grinding against him fervently.

His murmured, “Shit, sweetheart,” was writhing within her, the heat building within. But as his hard cock pressed against her thigh, she tugged away from his grasp.

“I’ll let you get back to work,” Caroline told him apologetically, a feigned pout forming on her lips.

Before she could break away, he held her in place with his hands grabbing at her hips and eyes glazed over in arousal. “I told you: I don’t do unfinished business,” he reminded her darkly and she pressed her instinctive grin into a coy smile.


	41. The Freakiest of Fridays

**CATATONIC-TOASTER ASKED:**

**can you do a klaroline drabble freaky friday style where they switch bodies? I think it could be really funny**

* * *

Caroline had no screams left to expel when she heard his accented voice roll from her own tongue. She rushed to the nearest mirror, not even phased by the expensive, ornate pieces around her. And there it was: Klaus Mikaelson. _Shirtless_ , she might add.

“OH MY GOD!”

She shuddered at the sound of his rounded vowels, the masculine tone of his voice enough to drive her mad. Why was it, that even in _this_ context, she was mildly aroused? _Oh god_ , why was she even _thinking_ that?!

She began testing out the motor functions of his body, twinkling his fingers and stretching his face, and it wasn’t long before she heard a heavy rapping at the front door.

Caroline swallowed hard as she exited the bedroom, twisting her lips at the sight of the hallway. It occurred to her that she had never explored the mansion so thoroughly. It would have to wait till later.

She rushed towards the sound and hesitated as she stepped up to the door. What if it wasn’t him? Would she have to pretend to _be_ him? It couldn’t be too hard, could it? Throw a couple _sweethearts_ and _loves_ amongst an irritatingly well-timed quip, irrational threats included if necessary, and she would pass the test!

With that in mind, Caroline finally resolved to swallow her fears and opened the door, puffed chest at the ready.

“Hello, love.”

Caroline was greeted by the sight of her own body and the sound of her own voice producing unfamiliar words.

It was official! She was going crazy! She was having one of those Twin Peaks fever dreams where, instead of a man speaking backwards, she was hearing Klaus’ words delivered in her _own_ voice!

“You!”

Tilting his (or…rather, her) head, he twitched up his brows. “Having a bit of a shock, are we?”

“Seriously?! What did you do?!”

“Me? I did nothing,” he paused, his eyes slowly skating up the door frame, “though I must say I did enjoy perusing your bedroom.”

“Perusing?!” she exclaimed and folded her arms. “I bet the _first_ thing you did was get naked, you _pervert_!”

“Trust me, sweetheart, I’ve done _no_ such thing,” he stated rather proudly and lifted his chin. “But before you go throwing accusations around, how do I know _you_ didn’t take a peak for yourself?” He took a step inward, his lips curling as she made sure to maintain the gap. “I’m sure you have been dying to know if there’s something _big_ behind the bravado.”

He was enjoying this too much. It was infuriating.

“Or _small_ ,” she gritted out, plastering a pretty smile on _his_ face.

Through her voice, he brought his words to a hush, “I would be more than happy to indulge you, sweetheart.”


	42. And I Would Wait

**[CAROLINEFORBAE](https://jodice.co.vu/) ASKED:**

> **basically, just werewolves!klaroline as mates with klaus figuring out they’re mates first and PINING HARD while caroline is all like *scoffs* *rolls eyes* *secretely charmed***

* * *

Klaus had never been one for the whole ‘mates’ deal. After awakening his werewolf side, Elijah had brought up the _possibility_ , but he brushed it off. If there was one thing he didn’t do, it was love.

But then she said it.

_I know you’re in love with me._

He had tried so hard to forget those words, so hard to contain that aching feeling as her life fell into his hands. And in a matter of moments, he knew what the term ‘mate’ meant.

Every time she laughed, he longed to be laughing with her. Every time she reacted coldly, he longed to tear out the throat of whoever had wronged her. She could twitch her brow in confusion and he would pose the question for her.

It was like an effortless psychic connection.

At first, he pondered whether it could be used to his advantage. After all, he knew exactly what she was feeling _when_ she was feeling it. He could tap into her energy and follow accordingly.

But there was a downside.

He could feel her utter apprehension when he threw a coquettish glance her way. Yes, there was arousal when he challenged her, but there was also a wave of unending guilt.

It was torture.

When he wandered into the drawing room of the Salvatore boarding house, they were all waiting with an array of emotions, but he could only focus on hers.

“Caroline,” he greeted with his best smile, sure his dimples would be offering themselves to her. He needn’t any ‘connection’ to tell him that.

She simply rolled her eyes and focused on Damon, who had taken the floor.

But he felt it.

That flickering excitement and her baited breath.

She wasn’t ready.

But he would wait.

He would wait an eternity.

For her.


	43. MOTH

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Canonish!KC- Marcel jokingly refers Caroline as mom, and Klaus upset at how close they are**

* * *

When Caroline had turned up on his doorstep in New Orleans, she hadn’t anticipated her personal tour being put on hold. Klaus had been absent for the better part of a month on ‘urgent business’ and left her to her own devices in a new city. She knew he wouldn’t leave unless it was, in fact, urgent, but Caroline was armed with a sulk that could last until he arrived home and then some.

For the first few days, Caroline took to lazing about The Compound — she sent a moderately bitchy text to Rebekah about her brother’s poor hosting skills and received an eye-roll emoji back — but as she ventured out onto Bourbon Street one day, she bumped into a _somewhat_ familiar face. She had seen his cat-like grin in one of Klaus’ many photo frames. He recognised her before she had even seen him come her way.

_“Klaus’ girl,” he greeted delightfully, gesturing his arms out. His reflective shades lifted as he stepped onto her side of the road._

_“I’m not his anything right now,” she grumbled in return. Admittedly, she was giving into some high school cattiness but with no one else to talk to, she was allowing herself that much._

_“I heard he’s in Brussels.”_

_“So **that’s** where he is,” Caroline confirmed with a dramatic raise of her brows. When he presented a bemused smirk, she sighed, “Sorry.” She found herself kicking the stray stones on the pavement, donning her best smile. “He was kind of supposed to be my tour guide and then business called… Should probably ask for a refund at this point.”_

_He regarded her momentarily, his confident smile unmoving, and exclaimed, “Well, hell, I would probably do a better job than him considering I **am** the king.”_

_She twisted her lips at the casual offer and looked out onto the street. A part of her felt bad to explore past the immediate Quarter after having postoned Klaus’ invitation for so long; he had spoken fondly of the street musicians and local delicacies. But he wasn’t here and she was **incredibly** bored. “Yeah, okay,” she finally answered, straightening back. She left her words hanging in the air before shaking her head in realisation. “I’m Caroline by the way.”_

_“Oh, trust me, I know.” When she pulled her head back in surprise he laughed. “Marcel.”_

So it was with 3 weeks and a substantial amount of alcohol that Caroline found herself a friend in one Marcel Gerard. Klaus’ scattered texts throughout that time had been sweet but something easily forgotten once his friend showed up with his whiskey of choice. On this particular night, they were both lying on the opposing red couches in The Compound living room. Drunk, of course.

Caroline swirled the bourbon in one of the Mikaelsons’ crystals as she mused, “So _Klaus_ named you?”

“Yup,” he released with a pop, poking his chin up to sip his own drink.

“And then he raised you?”

“And then turned me.”

Caroline used all of her strength to twist and sit up, pointing at him with the glass in hand. “So so so—“ she took a deep breath, the alcohol bubbling in her throat, “—Klaus is, like, your dad!”

Though Marcel chuckled, he confirmed, “Basically, yeah.”

She bit her lip suddenly and when he threw a look her way, she cupped over her mouth and whispered, “Do you ever call him ‘daddy’?”

His expression twisted in disgust as his head rolled against the cushion. “Caroline…”

“Kidding!” She giggled relentlessly and held her stomach with her free hand. “I’m kinda like your step-mom then, huh?”

It seemed to be Marcel’s turn to poke fun, his lips spreading into a wide grin. As he began to sit up, Caroline realised the weight of her words. Okay, they weren’t quite _there_ yet and Klaus needed to actually be _around_ for things to progress but the moment she had decided to come to New Orleans was the moment she knew what she wanted.

Marcel parted his lips to jest in return but the sorely missed drawl of her affection sounded from the archway, “You two seem chummy.”

Caroline practically shivered at the low notes and her vampire speed had her up and against his chest to exclaim, “Marcel’s so cool!” His immediate one-handed grasp on her waist was warm and enthralling, _and_ _perhaps_ the alcohol had improved her mood. She fingered the edges of his jacket. “Why didn’t you introduce us sooner?”

Klaus cast a look over the living room, his eyes landing on the bottle of bourbon. “Seems I didn’t need to, sweetheart.”

When she glanced at Marcel, he was awkwardly shoving his arms into his jacket. “Uh, I’ll leave you guys to it.” He skirted around the edges of the room but made sure to pause at the doorway. “See you later, _Mom,”_ he called out with a sheepish grin.

A giggle rumbled within but Caroline pressed her lips together instinctively when she saw Klaus’ utterly bewildered expression. “…I’m sorry— what?”

She brought her arms around herself and pressed a palm over her lips but the amusement wasn’t lost on the hybrid. “Don’t they grow up so fast?” she struggled out before the alcohol forced out a loud hiccup.


	44. Body Disposal For One

**BELLEMORTE180 ASKED:**

**Prompt: AH or Cannon- either works: Klaus commits a murder (victim and circumstances are your choice). Caroline runs a body dispose business. Sparks fly and attraction sets in....over a dead body.**

**(NSFW: blood, gore)**

* * *

When her boyfriend, Damon, had forced her to watch Pulp Fiction in Senior year, she found herself identifying with the character of Winston Wolfe, the ‘man who fixes problems’, a little _too_ much. She had often been the one to clean up after people’s messes whether it was Elena throwing up all over her parents’ carpet (underage drinking was a big no-no, _of course_ ) or Damon trashing whatever house he was partying at that weekend. Cleaning up after a murder sounded like a breeze. She had no idea her first disposal would be her own boyfriend, though.

But she was right. It was a breeze. And with a degree in Business, she knew how to put her skills to good use.

When she entered the large hall, baroque designs abundant, the sight of a head separated from its body greeted her. Blood was splattered across the floor, a crude mix of entrails and fluids unravelling from the torso. She sighed, her heels coming to a slow click, and asked, “Would it kill you to be a little less…messy?”

“Afraid not, sweetheart,” his accented voice drawled as he looked up from his place on the royal blue armchair. “That would ruin the fun.”

Klaus Mikaelson was a regular customer. A well-paying one, too. But he was as attractive as he was obnoxious. And as obnoxious as he was bloodthirsty. He had been impressed by her work after reluctantly following the suggestions of an associate to use her services. Despite obviously checking her out upon entry, he voiced his displeasure just as quickly. He was a ‘lone wolf’, but so was she. Nothing was more gratifying than the pleasantly surprised flash in his eyes as she billed him for her time, not a trace of his crime in sight.

“Well in that case, a little help would be appreciated,” she stated pointedly and threw a rag at his face, which he hadn’t failed to catch. His smirk elicited an eye roll, of which she had plenty to display in his presence. She pressed onwards to the body, dropping her two large duffle bags alongside it. She crouched down, raising an eyebrow as the dismembered head was placed in her memory. “Charles Gatineaux?” She glanced at him, questioning, “Keeping it in the family’s a little tacky, don’t you think?”

Klaus rose from the armchair, rolling up the sleeves of his thin, cotton henley. “In my experience, those who have been wronged seek revenge and it appears the heirs of my victims are prime candidates,” he noted absentmindedly.

“How thorough,” Caroline commented with a scoff. She stood up slowly and turned her head his way. He was feigning a scrub of the blood marks on the walls. “You’d think by now, you’d learn how to clean up after yourself.”

He pressed the cloth to his chest and frowned. “And risk losing the precious time we have together?” He took a step forward and gestured a bloody hand out. “This is our thing, is it not?”

“We don’t have a thing,” she replied sharply and turned back to view the body. “ _You_ have a murder thing, though.”

That was an understatement. This was his third call of the week. For someone so high up in the world of crime, he sure liked to get his hands dirty.

She felt him come up behind her, his body pressing into her back. The heat was enough to make her shiver with excitement. “Isn’t it thrilling?” Klaus whispered, the syllables dragging out as his lips brushed against her earlobe.

Caroline pressed her lips together momentarily. “You’re not lacking in creativity, that’s for sure,” she muttered and closed her eyes when his teeth grazed her skin.

“Impressed with my work, love?”

“I might make a suggestion or two.”

Klaus brought a hand to her waist, his fingers drumming gently over the rippling fabric of her shirt. “Care to share all of those suggestions with me over a drink?”

“I don’t mix business with pleasure,” she finally spat, slipping from his grasp to zip open her duffel bag of tools.

She could hear his damning breath of amusement. He stepped over the dismembered body and mused, “You didn’t seem to mind last Spring.”

Caroline shook her head, an incredulous grin spread across her face. Slipping her hands into a pair of gloves, she replied, “Well, you know Valentine’s can make a person do stupid things, fall into bed with the wrong people.”

“I don’t recall a bed,” he pointed out with an impish smile. He crouched down to admire his handiwork. “I _do_ recall your delicious screams, however.”

No, it wasn’t on a bed. It was on a desk. And his victim was sitting slack-jawed in the office chair adjacent ( _literally_ , that thing was barely hanging on by a few tendons). It was a remarkable sight to take in followed by the sight of Klaus, drenched in crimson, which was most unforgiving. She could barely contain herself when his darkened eyes took upon her. It was the only time she had ever displayed her bloodlust in the company of others; Damon had seen it, of course, but hadn’t lived long enough to use it against her. It wasn’t long before Klaus’ bloodied hands were staining every inch of her bare chest as he rocked into her and she cried out his name.

Caroline looked across at him. She didn’t offer him a response. She held a firm stare. Anything else would provide him a wealth of ammo that she knew better than to give.

“Perhaps next Valentine’s?” he suggested, his notes lifting in the empty space.

“If you’re not caught by then.” Caroline hummed, retrieving a freshly sharpened saw from the bag. “Three Gatineaux family members in a week,” she threw him an uneasy smile, “kinda indicates a pattern.”

“I suppose I’ll just have to keep calling you to help with the clean up then.” He paused, presenting a toothy grin. “So shall I book us a table for Valentine’s or will we be opting for a round two of last year, love?”

Her eyelashes fluttered as she fought off a devilish smile. “I think I’d like to keep our options open.”


	45. The Worst Promise

**TUSIKE6SPECIALEKC ASKED:**

**Hi! I’d like to like to read something like this: Caroline and human Stefan got married. As years pass he gets older and Care gets bored. She realizes she misses that sparkle and that Klaus was right, they’re the same, that simple life is not enough for her. She secretly goes find him and they exchange a silent promise, when Stefan dies they’ll finally have their chance. Smut is not necessary but she can definitely cheat on Stefan 🤣 Thank you!!!**

* * *

Caroline Forbes had thought herself to be a bad person in times of irrational thought over the many years but this time…she’s certain it’s true. She isn’t sure how she manages to convince Stefan that she has ‘school-related’ business in Louisiana but she does. He murmurs his acknowledgement as he turns the page of his ageing novel, not a care past the characters at his fingertips. She finds it doesn’t sting this time; it isn’t an uncommon thing these days, to be a part of the background. 

Despite some atrocious directions, Caroline finds the bar easier than anticipated. It’s small and situated amongst a crowd willow trees. It’s not a place she would picture her ‘date’ in. She settles her bag down at the feet of the stool and orders a Bordeaux that she nurses for the next thirty minutes, carefully tracing the edge of the glass to soothe her mind.

She knows it’s him by the scent of ash and spice that wafts in at the sound of rusty bells atop the entrance. His, “Hello, love,” brings her untold warmth but they make no conversation. He doesn’t question it, only orders himself a a Bourbon neat and cups the glass between his hands.

“It’s his birthday next week,” she finally informs him, her lips pressing against the edge of the glass. She notices the tensing of his shoulders out of the corner of her eye. 

With a heavy breath in and a brittle smile, he replies, “I suppose celebrations are in order then.”

Her thumb strokes the stem of her glass and she mutters. “Fiftieth.”

It was more horrifying to say it out loud. While she looks and feels the same day in and day out, Stefan couldn’t be more different than the day they had met. She still has the energy to take on the world while he’s content to enjoy the mundane life of a human. But he wears time like a badge of honour, celebrates every wrinkle and commemorates the creaks in his bones with a bottle of champagne.

“Ah, have his charming good looks faded enough for you to reconsider?” his humorous question is unmistakably dripping with bitterness.

“He’s fine looking,” Caroline says with a dull stare that struggles to maintain itself when his eyebrows jump with intrigue. A sigh escapes her as she stares down at her glass. “That’s not the issue.” By the unchanging expression he holds, she can tell he has no intention of letting such an answer be. She blows a wisp of hair from her face. “I guess I should have known that I wouldn’t be first…or second…or even third,” she begins firmly but finds she has to pause, finds she has to wrestle with such old demons in her head, “to Elena…to Damon…” She won’t divulge anything more. She’s sure he knows more than he lets on. If she were him, she might gloat, might say _‘I told you so’_ , that Stefan, Damon, and Elena are a package deal only strengthened by their shared return to mortality. _Of course you could never be apart of that._ But he doesn’t and she’s thankful.

“If he hasn’t recognised your worth by now, I’m afraid he’s a lost cause.” His grin is lazy and his eyes are sparkling with such nostalgia. But he must notice that she can’t even bring herself to throw her hat in the ring this time because his eyes strain. “Caroline, you have all the time in the world.”

Her tongue presses desperately against her bottom row of teeth and she asks, “Do we?” before she can consider the implications. She’s known him long enough that she can detect the flicker of surprise. He doesn’t offer her an answer and she wonders if his promise really did have an expiry date. She watches him press his lips together, seemingly to collect his thoughts, and hopes that she is presenting nothing but the utmost confidence.

“This is my favourite bar in Louisiana; it has been around for almost a century.” Klaus leans back in his stool, his hand draping over the back of hers. He offers her a calm smile, one that she wishes to capture with more than just her memory. He leans in ever so slowly and says in a hush, ”Hopefully for another century more. Or however long it takes.” His lips graze her cheekbone and the familiarity of his touch sends chills down her spine. It isn’t unlike moments they have shared in the past, though there’s something sombre about it. His eyes linger on hers as the low notes hum into her ear, “Goodbye, Caroline.”


	46. Fxck Fairies

**CLICHEFANGIRLDREAMER ASKED:**

**Caroline makes Klaus help her with her dorm room and cause the fairy lights just won’t corporate**

* * *

“Fuck,” Caroline huffs and puffs as her fingers fail to pry apart the clear coated wires. She’s aware that they’re a little tacky (Rebekah would certainly think so) but they’re an essential decoration for her new dorm room! She finally received her request for a single and she wasn’t intending to waste the opportunity.

She makes no effort to acknowledge Klaus as he settles onto the bed next to her. His reaction to her single room was a mixed one. As much as he tempted her with sharing an apartment (his mattress is _unfairly_ soft), he knew not to stifle her independence. The promise of on-campus privacy and a new, lacy lingerie set was enough to sway him.

He bumps his knee against hers and presses his lips to her bare shoulder. It’s tender and certainly too much for her to handle at this time of day, which is why she refuses to entertain it. With a hum, he asks, “A little early in the semester to be cursing, don’t you think, sweetheart?”

Caroline whines instantly when she reaches another unruly clump of wires. “It’s these… _freaking_ fairy lights!” She may be inclined to see the issue with buying decorative lighting from the dollar store after this mishap but she won’t let Rebekah _or_ Katherine know that.

Klaus kisses her cheek and she pushes him off with a nudge of her shoulder, her loose blonde curls brushing across her skin. Never one to let his ego be bruised, he chuckles and gestures to the lights in her hands. “Let _me_ have a go.”

She rolls her eyes and her fingers tense amongst the knots as she settles them in her lap. “This isn’t a jar of pickles, Klaus. Your manly strength isn’t really useful here.”

“Yes, but I’ve been told my fingers are rather skilled,” he recalls with such a heart-pounding glint in his eye before licking his lips. Caroline wants to argue back but she’s sure it will end up in a mess of sheets and a tangle of lights that remain _tangled_. She blows out a breath of irritation and offers the lights up. She restrains a biting comment when he grins so salaciously at her. His fingers brush her wrist just quick enough that it can’t be noted. She watches Klaus inspect the tangle of wires, pick and tug at the tightest of knots. It’s with one loud and exasperated sigh he exclaims, “Bloody hell, these are impossible.”

Her fingers curl over his wrist and Caroline finds herself practically sitting on his lap to whisper, “Sorry, what was that about your skills?”


	47. Pom Poms & Pencils

**DESTELLOLUNAR ASKED:**

**A drabble where Klaus is a antisocial nerd in high school in love with the unreachable cheerleading captain Caroline.**

* * *

Klaus had been content in his position of the ‘loner’ or ‘that weird British kid’ for the last year and a half. He couldn’t understand why his little sister was so obsessed with the superficiality of it all. She fit right in without so much as a flick of her wrist and a nasty jibe directed at the ‘ _leader_ ’ of the Freshman pack, as she put it. One would think a little age would improve things but the rest of his Senior class were as daft as their underclassmen. So yes, he was happy to go about his time in solitude.

Yet when he saw Caroline Forbes, Mystic Falls’ resident cheerleading captain and all around beacon of hope in this town devoid of depth, he could see _some_ appeal in that scene. She wasn’t attainable by any means, destined to marry some former quarterback and be stifled by town meetings and high school dramatics, but he always had his sketchbook. He had witnessed her mask slip one afternoon and from then on, he wished to see nothing else. He would capture her most sombre moments, her discomfort, her burning eyes that hid behind a brittle grin. The moment he witnessed her _genuine_ smile, he longed to recreate it in a million different ways. And it was only when Caroline, in the flesh, had him cornered in the library that he began to wonder if his sister’s silly ideas of ‘ _manifestation_ ’ held truth.

“Hey, you’re Klaus, right?” Caroline asks with a flounce in her step before she comes to a stop at his desk. Her red and black pom poms sit at the inch of bare skin at her midriff. Her teeth are set of perfect, pearly whites but do nothing to convince him of her friendly approach. “Your sister is on my squad, really good high kick!” Her eyes strain and she looks off to the side to add, “Probably better than mine but I think she already knows that—”

His fingers curl around the top of his sketchbook, the pen in his hand imprinting his skin. His eyes run over her frame, from her ridiculous pom poms to her plastered on smile. With a dull and low voice, he asks, “Can I help you?”

Her cheeks flush and she fiddles with the mess of confetti-like material in her hands. He isn’t sure if he’s ever seen anything suit her so much as the tint of red beneath her skin but he considers adding just one drop of colour to his sketches from now on. Her voice is light and quiet, ever mindful of their location, “Right! Sorry, I kinda…ramble.”

He knows. Her debates in class are always filled with seemingly unrelated tangents and anecdotes that never fail to prove her point. He’s heard a few comments at her expense under the breaths of so-called friends, soon to be high school has-beens.

Caroline sucks in a breath before offering her enigmatic eyes of aquamarine. “Um, so, Rebekah said that you’re really good at drawing people?”

His heart sinks a little at the revelation. He knows his sister loves to pull the strings and stir the pot so he wouldn’t put it past her to embarrass him just once before his graduation. _My brother is **obsessed** with you, _he can hear her saying. He can imagine Caroline’s face twisting before she laughs at the very idea. He knows he should play it cool in any event.

“Did she now?” is what makes it out of his mouth. His tone is harsh and he brings his sketchbook tightly into his chest, masking all discomfort with a cross of his arms. “Is that all she said?”

Caroline’s brows furrow and she frees up a hand to brush it against the nape of her neck. A curl of blonde has escaped her scrunchie. “Oh uh, I think so?” He’s mesmerised by the way her eyes run through her emotions, despite her unaffected smile. There’s a flash of irritation and he clambers to repress a smirk. She eventually flutters her lashes and returns to her toothy effervescence, “Anyway, my mom’s birthday is coming up and every year, I end up buying her some crappy jewellery or gardening _thing_ she doesn’t use so I thought you know what would be cool? Something she can keep forever!” She’s rambling again. This time she catches herself, laughing quietly to open the floor.

“Your point?” Klaus asks in a manner that he questions almost immediately. His default at school has come to be a mix of impatience and disdain. He knows it’s not what _she_ deserves, but he can’t help but receive her in any other way.

“You know you don’t have to be such a dick,” Caroline accuses with a scoff, leaving him to appreciate her honesty once he’s over the initial shock. She shifts on one foot and mutters under her breath, “I guess it runs in the family.”

When he studies her face, he realises that her lips are tugged out into a pressed and defiant grin. He considers pushing her buttons just a little longer to see how extensive her true feelings are. He can’t help but chuckle at the thought. In response, Caroline lifts her chin and mirrors his folded arms. He only raises his eyebrows at the continuing silence.

He isn’t sure whether or not he’s dreaming when she finally speaks.

“I want you to draw me,” she demands but clears her throat to add, “please.”

There’s nothing he wants more. And he could give it to her right then and there. There are pages and pages of her in his sketchbook. But he’s certain she’ll find it disturbing more than anything — an opinion he can hardly discredit.

The way she looks as she anticipates his answer is a wondrous sight alone. He rolls his shoulders and coughs out any insecurity before replying, “I…might have some free time.”


	48. What Goes Around

**CERTIFIEDCERAUNOPHILE ASKED:**

**Hybrid!klaus cursed by witches into a haze of fever headache body pain and just slightly toned down version of all the side effects of a hybrid bite, and (established KC or not up to you) Caroline takes care of him.**

* * *

“Thank you, Caroline,” Klaus’ voice is constricted by his swelling throat, the croak more evident now. He had turned up at her home in the early hours of the morning, uncharacteristically rambling about witches and hybrid bites. She didn’t have time to ask how he knew her address (not even Bonnie could remember it without texting first) when he stumbled in. Once she was able to calm him down and relieve _herself_ of the shock, he explained the curse placed on him by three particularly frustrated witches. Seventy-two hours, cursed with the effects of a hybrid bite. It left him vulnerable enough to seek refuge outside of New Orleans, it seemed.

Caroline simply nods before leaving him to shiver under the blanket she had fished from her cupboard; it was one of the few items she had brought on the move to Boston. “You’re welcome.” It’s short. Not cold but not inviting either. She finds herself unable to decipher her feelings about this sudden visit. She knew that one day she would go to him, that, by leaving Mystic Falls a year earlier, she had triggered the _countdown_. But this wasn’t how she had pictured their reunion. If she’s completely honest, she had been betting on some _tell me about it, stud_ moment, leather pants and all (the singing was optional — come to think of it, she wasn’t sure if Klaus _could_ carry a tune). When she settles onto the armchair opposite the couch, she offers a soft opening of conversation, “It’s not exactly what I thought I’d be doing on my summer vacation.”

He strains to chuckle and it’s a confusing scene. The last time they had been in such positions, he was cursing out as she withheld aid. And though she enjoys seeing him receive a taste of his own medicine, such a resigned acceptance of suffering doesn’t suit him.

“I suppose you must be delighted to see me like this, sweetheart,” he pauses and she can hear the wheeze in his breath, “after all I put you through. I’m sorry.”

It’s a word not found in his vocabulary and it sounds wrong in what is usually his confident, drawling accent. Still, the memories of a similar, more deadly, infliction flood her mind. If she were alone, she might grasp at her neck. She’s sure that the girl she was back then would encourage her to twist the knife and enjoy his current predicament. She can’t. Her throat is strangled for a moment but she flits her fingers and manages to say, “That was years ago.”

His head is propped up awkwardly against a dull, mauve cushion, eyes watching her with the utmost care despite his own suffering. He speaks firmer this time, pushing through a shuddering breath, “And yet the searing pain and cold sweat I am in reminds me only of that.”

She stares at him, refusing to let her lashes even flicker, too afraid that she might display some deep-seeded emotion. She quickly scoffs and picks up the cup of tea sitting before her. “Don’t be such a drama queen.”

“I’ve never been more serious,” his voice is a little higher and she can detect the slight wobble. He’s now staring at the ceiling and it’s in this moment that she can examine the sickening sight of pale, damp skin. Thankfully, his new inclination towards theatrics maintains her focus, “This is agony, so close to the brink of death but with no reprieve.”

“I think I’d rather be bitten again at this rate,” she murmurs in between sips of tea. She finds the scrunch in his nose to be pathetic enough that she places the cup onto the coffee table and smiles sympathetically. “I guess there _is_ a silver lining here, though.”

His eyes flutter shut for a moment. “What could that possibly be?” he asks tiredly and rolls his head in her direction.

She leans into the chair, her fingers sinking into the hard-cushioned arms of it. “Now that you know it freaking _sucks_ ,” her eyes widen animatedly, “maybe you’ll think twice about inflicting the same on others.”

Against all odds, he manages a smile but it’s a deadly one, one she’ll scold herself for flushing at the sight of later. “On the contrary, I’ve come to find this is a wonderful punishment for those who might think to defy me,” he replies so matter-of-factly that she isn’t even sure why she had expected any Scrooge-like epiphany from him. It’s takes another moment before he adds in earnest, “Except you, of course.”

Caroline parts her lips to prepare her rebuttal (whether it’s to criticise or poke fun, she hadn’t decided), but seeing him so…. _wounded_ has been enough for her to bear any more of his Shakespearean laments. He’s rather lucky that she’s missed him more than she had anticipated because instead, she presses her lips into a smile and echoes, “ _Of course_.”


	49. A Different Kind of Meeting

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**Can you write something where Klaus saves Caroline when she’s being tortured by her father in the beginning of season 3?**

* * *

There were panicked noises. She could have sworn she heard her father yell out her name; his stress was almost humorous after everything he had done. It was in one swift moment that she had gone from being strapped to a chair in a dark and dank cellar, fearful of the sun behind the hatch above, to a different kind of fear. Her rescuer, and likely her new captor, had brought her to what reminded her of the cellar below the Salvatore Boarding House, though it was much more spacious. She had been overwhelmed by the scent of burning wood and earth until he placed her against the cold stone floor.

Caroline curls her body inwards, arms barely cling to her knees. The torture has had a much greater effect on her strength than anticipated. His shadow moves across the room and she croaks out, “Are you going to hurt me?”

He’s soon crouching before her with only the light behind the cellar door to offer clarity. Still, she can make out the crease in his forehead as he asks softly, “Now, why would I do that when you’ve already endured so much?”

It’s unfair that he sounds so calm, so caring in an accent that is sure to become unmistakable. The Caroline that once was would have fluttered her lashes and squeaked out her attraction profusely. That Caroline is dead. Even the Caroline two days prior isn’t one she recognises. It’s only in moments like this that, she misses it. The simplicity. The shallow conventions.

Her jaw shifts and perhaps the darkness is inciting confidence but she glowers. “ _Are you_?”

Caroline’s heart jumps a beat when his liqueur-smooth chuckle breaches the silence. His hands clasp together and a breath of amusement follows. “What do you think, love?”

She refuses to entertain his question. Days have been spent hoping that playing someone else’s game will lessen impending punishment to no avail. Her eyes are analysing his shadowy figure, hoping to catch a better glimpse of him. He seems to be waiting, seems to realise there’s no point because he stands and exits the room in a matter of seconds. She sighs and rests her head back against the rough wall.

When the door cracks open minutes later, she’s quick to stifle the urge to violently claw at her skin and throw herself back. The only thing she feels in reaction is upset. There doesn’t seem to be any possible way of sunlight entering the room but it’s a reflex so ingrained in her that she wonders whether she’ll ever recover.

The stranger must sense her quickening heartbeat and the terrible hitch in her breath; he’s carefully moving across the room. It’s in the corner that he lights a candle atop what appears to be a very old, rusty sconce. It provides enough light that she can see the sandy colour of his hair. “I apologise for the choice of location,” he sighs out, turning to face her. “It was the safest option for the time being.” He’s even more careful when he nears her, slowly lowering himself onto the ground beside her. She makes no move, too wary of a turn in atmosphere to do so.

He glances at her momentarily but soon bites into his wrist. She hears the sound of teeth cutting flesh and though her rationality tells her not to, her fangs are slipping out and her eyes are filling with darkness. He extends his arm towards her, his body turning in and closing the distance between them. Her mouth is practically watering and he urges her on with a small jerk of his arm.

“Thank you,” she mutters so quietly as his wrist sits between her thinning fingers, unable to restrain herself any longer. Her hunger has been so drawn out that she cares not for any etiquette. She gorges on the blood pooling into her mouth. It’s different. Addictive. Her eyes shut and she sighs out through her nose with much relief.

The stranger is resting his head back and she can feel him tense under her. Still, he speaks with an air of ease, “I’ve always wondered what possesses a man to harm their own child.”

Caroline feels her throat clamping shut and has to refocus herself before she chokes on the sweet liquid. When she pulls back and wipes the excess blood with the back of her hand, he’s staring at her with great interest. “He thinks I’m a monster,” she says coolly. She doesn’t want to think about it for too long, reminds herself of the current situation, the possible danger, to repress it.

“Monster is such an overused term, wouldn’t you agree?”

She stares at him, notes how even in the dim light there’s a wavering glow in his eyes. He raises his eyebrows and she quickly scoffs, “What do you want? And please don’t answer with a question this time it’s _seriously_ annoying.”

His, for the lack of a better word, beautifully crafted lips stretch into a grin that only holds for a moment before he presses it shut. “You had been recommended as a sacrifice but it seems fate spared you…perhaps for a greater purpose.”

_Klaus_. She remembers. She remembers hearing stories and imagining someone much older, much less…human looking.

“I think we would make wonderful allies, sweetheart.”


	50. Hiraeth

**CERTIFIEDCERAUNOPHILE ASKED:**

**Klaus saying I love you for the first time**

* * *

“Why?”

It’s all she can say at this point. When she told him she wanted to move on once again, travel to Singapore, she had expected _some_ level of reluctance but Klaus had gone above and beyond. They had exchanged a few tight words when she made the announcement but she had prepared to leave regardless. Being intruded upon by two of his minions and ushered to the compound at eight a.m., an hour before she was due to leave, was nothing short of frustrating. She had debated snapping their necks but the younger of the pair had begged her and she decided it would be better to deliver such a blow directly to the hybrid.

He had left her waiting in one of the many, lavish guest rooms until noon. A selection of blood bags were delivered and she was anything but pleased to see the entirety of her belongings were being moved in shortly thereafter. The surprise on his face when he finally entered, only to be welcomed with outrage, was a picture.

Klaus rushes forward, holding a hand out as his forehead creases. “Caroline—”

Caroline doesn’t give him the chance, stepping back in her interruption, “No. Tell me why _exactly_ I shouldn’t go.” She folds her arms tightly and stares him down. “For years, you tell me there’s a world out there waiting for me and I should take a chance but I get hurt _once_ because of _your_ messed up battle for power and now, you don’t even want me to leave New Orleans!” She isn’t sure if her eyes could get any wider. The altercation between her and a faction of young, _ambitious_ witches is both the reason she wants to go and the reason he wants her to stay. But she isn’t scared. Truthfully, she’s been considering _forever_ for a while now and one last solo trip is the perfect way to mark a new chapter.

He stills, seeming to realise that any inch he takes, she will do all the same. “That’s not it,” he tells her with a firmness more suited to the politics of the Quarter.

“It’s not? Then what is it?!” Caroline looks aside when she can’t bear to view his puppy-like stare any longer. Her brows knit closer for a moment before she expresses an incredulous laugh and swings out her arms. “I was doing just fine on my own. You should be thankful I even let you _join_ me in Paris!”

The mention of Paris appears to be a sore spot as she can detect a faint brush of anger across his face. It was the start of everything after all. They had bumped into each other outside the Louvre, though she’s sure his timing was more than just fortunate, and she agreed to a few innocent outings. The sex had been somewhat unexpected but they weren’t in Mystic Falls any longer. Things had changed. Friendship and a trip to New Orleans. Those were the _loose_ terms of their arrangement and they seemed to suit him well. It wasn’t enough to warrant the current circumstances.

“Please don’t—”

Again, she cuts into his rebuttal, “I’m not some fragile doll and I am _definitely_ not going to stay just because you feel like you have some…claim over me all of a sudden!“ Whether it be an action of her subconscious or a sign of some delusion, she gravitates towards him, heels clicking harshly against the marble beneath her feet. “I am not your siblings or your stupid hybrid ar—“

Klaus is swift, grasping her by the elbows. She would be inclined to tear herself away but it’s neither firm nor rough enough to react. Still, she feels the air leave her lungs when he yells out, “For Christ’s sake, Caroline, it’s because I love you!”

Her lashes barely flutter in response and breathlessly, she says, “What?”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think and I…” Klaus huffs, his gaze shifting across their touch. It’s not a common occurrence to see him speechless and it’s an ever-enjoyable sight but in this instance, she’s yearning for the opposite. Those stormy blue eyes she has carefully memorised over their time together will her to make contact before he finally concludes, “I _want_ you to stay here…with me.”


	51. Well, It Was a Pretty Thing

**CERTIFIEDCERAUNOPHILE ASKED:**

**No humanity Caroline steals klaus’ painting from the hermitage because she feels like it**

* * *

It’s sitting in her hotel room and the more Caroline looks at it, the more she is able to connect each brush stroke with the painter. Acquiring it was pathetically easy so she isn’t surprised to receive a call, only to receive it via the obsolete, pastel green rotary phone on her nightstand and not her mobile. She doesn’t bother to rush, lets it ring for as long as it takes to finish tying her hair into a plait. It’s only when she’s sat onto the plush quilt atop her king-size bed that she picks up the phone, eyes scratching away at the painting sat against her door.

“Hello, Caroline,” his voice is nothing short of sensual and she can hear the elongated vowels and rolling consonants with much clarity, “I believe you have something of mine.”

“Of course, you have your minions on my tail.” She takes a moment to laugh and finds herself twiddling with the cord attached to the phone. Humanity had left her riddled with guilt any time she even thought of the hybrid, but here she is, indulging in a simple conversation. She’s easing herself back into the pillows as she laments, “You know it’s _so_ hard to find a guy who’ll stalk me himself these days…”

“All you have to do is ask, sweetheart,” his retort is playful, though she’s aware he would be the first to admit its true weight. She can hear the quiet release of breath on Klaus’ end and it’s soon followed by a matter-of-fact declaration, “Actually, I happened to be checking in on things when I was informed of the inexplicable disappearance of my artwork—”

“How awful,” she makes a worthy attempt at imitating his voice but falls short as usual. She makes a mental note to practice for future endeavours — small town guys will be putty in her hands, an easy feed.

“ —and that a young, American girl had been visiting it daily for at least a week.”

Caroline scrunches her nose but replies laxly, “It’s not exactly _damning_ evidence.” So she may have taken a trip or two. The first time was entirely based in curiosity. The second might have been less of a conscious decision — the painting _is_ more than she imagined. But the third, fourth and fifth were to scope the place out.

“Did my work really speak to you that much?” He hums so darkly that she has to remind herself not to feed into any impulses, any stubborn _emotions_. He speaks once again and this time, she’s sure he knows exactly what he’s doing. “I would have been happy to paint you another.”

The admission settles in as something her usual self would blush profusely at but instead, she shoves it down in place of a dismissive laugh. “It wouldn’t be the same,” she sighs, drawing her gaze to the large painting and its effortless landscape. “Besides, it’s a pretty thing.”

“Pretty? That wasn’t my intention when painting it.”

The words that pour out of her struggle to retain their brittle delivery, “Maybe I just see things that others don’t.”

“Evidently,” Klaus replies with a familiar warmth. She can hear some rustling—papers and pencils—and is left to wonder how much he knows of her situation. Thankfully, before she can reflect on the day of her mother’s funeral, he interrupts, “So, how do you intend on making it out of Russia with the painting? It’s quite large.”

“Who says I’m planning to leave?” Her head tips side to side as she inspects the condition of her nails. “Or that I _don’t_ want to be caught?”

“Do you?”

“Depends on my captor.” Her eyes sparkle with mischief; it’s been too long since their last entanglement and she’s realising just how much fun she can have under these circumstances. She prides herself on how charmingly innocent she adds, “Sending the cops would just be impersonal.”

There’s a long stretch of silence and she loathes to imagine how nervous a humanity-riddled Caroline would be. “As you wish, love,” he states politely but she can hear the tickling notes of intrigue. “Eight p.m. tomorrow. I know you aren’t a fan of surprises.”

Her eyes narrow and her grip on the telephone tightens as she grits out, “Things change.”

“They do.” He lowers his voice and she can tell his lips are pressed closely to the phone by the way each plosive muffles into the speaker, “So, I hope you’ll have turned it back on by then.” That incites a shift in her and she’s adjusting her back upright. She could run through a list of _who_ or _how_ (no need for _why_ ) but realises it’s useless; Klaus has nothing if not his finger on the pulse of every vampire community. His tone alleviates but does nothing to prevent the chill that so violently runs through her as he says, “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Caroline.”


	52. Timing

**ANONYMOUS ASKED:**

**A drabbe where Klaus and Cami have something going on, or maybe Cami is just started have feelings for him and Caroline shows up in NO after her mother's death. I would love to see their reaction to that. Please, not anti Cami.**

* * *

Klaus is across the Quarter, lingering off the edge of the sidewalk. His eyes are glued to someone. A woman. Her hair is blonde, much like her own, and she wears clothes that don’t seem to match her idea of New Orleans. Seeing him like this, seeing him view someone in a way Caroline is sure he viewed her once (though now her memory is too fuzzy to recall), is just…heart-breaking. It feels like there should be another, more poetic way to describe the curdling emotions that plague her but they’re so strong, she can barely think straight. There’s a part of her that thinks she should turn it _off_ once more but she likes to think she doesn’t make the same mistake twice.

Klaus catches her gaze not a moment later and it looks as though the colour has drained from his face. She watches him exchange short words with the woman and manages to catch a glimpse of her as he heads in her direction. The woman’s eyes are watching him longingly and Caroline has to do her very best not to fall into shallow presumptions. It isn’t long before he’s walking her through the back streets, his face a picture of bewilderment and guilt.

“She’s looks very…nice,” she manages to force out before pressing her lips into a small smile. Her fingers curl desperately around the strap of her bag as she glances at a nearby crowd. “Professional.”

“I’m her _therapy_ guinea pig,” he says with a sigh that is so layered with emotion, she isn’t sure where to begin. It’s made in an attempt to ease the tension but escapes him too heavily to succeed.

“Klaus Mikaelson in therapy,” she echoes so plainly. She senses his anxiety building and so is quick to throw a tired grin as she adds, “Kind of an oxymoron.”

Klaus does his best to respond in kind, “I’m pleased to see your time at Whitmore is paying off.” He leads her around to another section of the Quarter where a bar is nestled between two restaurants, all three filled with customers.

“Actually, I dropped out,” she says with the slightest embarrassment and suddenly, they’re planted at the street corner. He raises his chin to view her with a level of concern that threatens her composure. So she flutters her lashes and flits out a hand. “It’s no big deal. College can wait and I’ve got lots of time.”

He makes no effort to comment, only presses his lips together. He takes a moment to pace a few steps, humming out as he comes to a stop, “Might I recommend Harvard or Yale next time?”

Caroline isn’t sure why she flushes but she’s hoping the dim street lights are enough to disguise it. “I don’t think my grades will ever be good enough for that.”

He finally presents her with that devilish smirk, the one that has often invited her into compromising acts. Tilting his head her way, he points out, “That’s where compulsion comes in handy, love.”

She views him for longer than she would be willing to admit; neither of them have aged a day but there’s still a lingering passage of time written on their faces. Before he can change the subject, she clears her throat and resumes their leisurely stroll. “Yeah, well, I’m trying to, um, limit my usage these days.”

Klaus’ frame tenses and he straightens up rather uncomfortably. He struggles to settle on an expression, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’m happy to see that your feeling like your old self,” he finally says after catching up with her.

“News travels fast, then.”

He exhales quietly and drops his chin. “I was sorry to hear about your mother.”

Her feet pause in the middle of the street—she’s finally feeling the ache of her travels—and she turns her head his way, eyes hardening rapidly. “Were you?”

His own eyes soften, practically plead, and she can tell it’s unusual for him these days by the way they twitch at the corners. “I thought that sending flowers may be encroaching upon our agreement.”

Caroline looks up at the sky, releasing a short and breathy laugh. “Isn’t breaking the rules kind of your thing?”

“Caroline…” he implores her and she can feel the heat grow as he attempts to close the distance between them.

Her head shakes reflexively. “It’s getting late. I should go,” she mutters as she begins fiddling through her bag. Her wide smile strains when she takes in his parted lips and flickering eyes. “It was really…nice to see you.”


	53. The Best of Both

**BELLEMORTE180 ASKED:**

**Klaus and Caroline meet while on dates with other people. They ditch said date to run off together.**

* * *

Her date is but three feet away heading in the direction of the toilets when Klaus leans over to comment, “Not to be rude, love, but your date sounds like a wanker.”

Yes, it’s just her luck that Klaus Mikaelson, the man she spent her prom night being…deflowered by and has subsequently ignored since, is on his own date — at the table next to hers no less. And he isn’t wrong about her date. _Tyler_ has, thus far, made some rather grand claims and arguably sexist remarks. But she’s had a dry spell in the dating department so it’s just nice to be out of the house for once.

Still, she isn’t willing to give Klaus the satisfaction and says, “Really? Well, yours sounds like she still thinks Miley and Hannah are two different people.” She isn’t expecting him to get the reference but he laughs so suddenly it makes her cheeks go rosy.

His eyebrows jump and with a toothy grin, he questions, “What? Do you really think I could avoid such pop culture with Rebekah as my sister?”

A reluctant breath of amusement escapes her. “Good point.” She leans back in her seat, tries to not let her discomfort about the sticky leather show. “So, what are your plans for this evening? Hoping to get lucky?”

“I could ask the same of you,” he shoots back with perfect timing. It was what landed her in his bed on prom night some five years ago. That and the punch Damon Salvatore had liquored up. His eyes are trailing up from her bare legs to her audaciously short, purple dress as he absentmindedly comments, “God knows your date doesn’t have enough brain cells to make him useful for anything else.”

Her lips part and she feels a lump build in her throat. It’s another thing he isn’t wrong about. It’s been a _long_ dry spell. His grin is growing wider before she can conjure anything witty so she opts for the more childish route instead, “Well…shut up.”

Klaus chuckles and it’s just too damn pleasant not to smile in reaction to. “I’d be happy to,” he speaks so innocently but unsurprisingly let’s that devious lilt return to his voice, “but I know I could do so much better and so could you.”

His rich, blue eyes are offering a familiar flash of confidence and he’s raising a single brow. Suddenly, she feels like a teenager again and her cheeks are undoubtedly on fire. She chews on her lips, pupils darting side to side. “We can’t. It would be rude.”

Klaus rolls his eyes but there’s no love lost as his grin is still plastered on. “Sweetheart, my date is over at the bar chatting up a very obviously married man,” he nods towards the very scene in which his date (her name was Aurora, she thinks — not that she was eavesdropping) is fingering the tie of an older gentleman, “And judging by the fidgety nature of yours, he has other priorities.” He taps the side of his nose and smirks.

Again (dammit), he isn’t wrong. She is very certain she caught her date shoving a little baggy into his pocket after his _first_ trip to the bathroom. She doesn’t give in so easily, though. She purses her lips and gazes around the room one final time. “Fine,” it’s a quick acceptance, one she refuses to prolong. She swiftly pops open her clutch and retrieves a pen (you never know when you’ll need one).

His brows furrow, confusion now a priority over his triumphant smirk. “What are you doing?”

“Leaving a note!” Caroline states obviously, her eyes as wide as can be. She rises from her seat and reaches for a napkin. Placing it against the table and letting her pen hover, she asks with a scrunched up nose, “What’s a good excuse?”

He stifles a chuckle as he chokes out the suggestion, “It’s not me, it’s you?”

She scoffs and throws him a quick glare before focusing on the note once more. “I think it’s meant to be the other way around.”

Klaus leans in, unabashedly grazing his lips against her ear as he retorts, “Not in this case.”

Though she’s dying to shiver at the contact, she brushes it off with a shake of her head and muses, “I’ll just…” She scribbles furiously, makes sure to end with a couple ‘x’s and sets it down to analyse.

“‘ _Had an emergency. Sorry to run’_ ,”he recites with much heart and clutches his hand against his chest.“Poor lad. Let’s hope he manages to find the table before a waitress tosses it out.”

Her lips twitch because as infuriating as he is, she can’t deny how much that is outweighed by her attraction (and the white dress shirt he’s wearing does NOT help). “Just go,” she huffs and shoves him by the arm.

It isn’t exactly how Caroline expected her night to end but…she isn’t complaining.


	54. Bending Will

_**dumb-bitchculture asked:** _

_**Klaroline as Benders from atla (Avatar: the Last Airbender) Klaus is definitely from the fire nation with that attitude (lol), Caroline I could see as either an Water or Air bender** _

**Disclaimer: I'm not an expert on ATLA so please allow me some...creative license!**

* * *

“Firebender,” Caroline greeted warily with an equal measure of hard warning. Her leather, glove-clad hand swung his way along with her body. He instantly raised both palms to her but she edged back regardless. His small group of fire benders had been camping near their settlement for the past month or so. He had insisted, as their leader, that they would only be passing through but by the third day, it had become clear their intentions weren’t to leave.

The firebender’s lips twitched and pressed tightly but the grin on his face was evident as he replied, “Come on, love. I think it’s about time we get on a first name basis, don’t you?”

He was handsome, that much was sure, and enjoyed littering her with compliments as she tended the crops in the afternoon. He had offered her to join his group on their trip and she became flustered at the mere thought of escaping the mundane — eighteen years in the same place, surrounded by the same people, had taken its toll. But his ill-timed quip at the expense of her tribe was enough to sour her on the idea. She couldn’t let herself be swayed by some superficial notions. He was most certainly a firebender. The calculated lilts in his voice and raising brows couldn’t fool someone like her. No, she was too smart.

Caroline blew out a breath and the loose blonde hair hanging out of her hair-tie bounced upward. “Will you stop calling me ‘love’?”

The firebender chuckled, seemingly amused by her attempt at his accent. “I can try, though it’s a bit of a bad habit of mine,” he admitted with little remorse and shrugged his shoulders.

“You’re not helping yourself,” she pointed out with a swift roll of her eyes but she knew her face was flushed with pink. Every time he spoke, it would send her through a loop. It was too dangerous to be entertained.

“Fine, I apologise, _sweetheart,”_ his tongue rolled tenderly in his mouth and his teeth presented themselves.She bit her lip; those dimples of his that she had worked hard to suppress in her mind were on full show.

He looked to be arming himself with a raised brow so she soon snapped, “I don’t have time for this, firebender.” She folded her arms tightly and angled away from him.

“And here I thought we were becoming friends,” he called out and raised a hand to run it through his sandy curls. “My name is Klaus.”

She felt her throat swell at the sight of his toned arms and the comfortable way his fingers brushed through his hair. She scoffed and glared before biting out, “Great. Don’t care.”

Klaus sighed and nodded his head. “Alright, I’m sorry.” He offered out a hand, eyes softening. “Truce?”

She took a long moment to regard his hand, considered how warm it would feel against hers. She kept her arms folded, however, as she replied, “I’m Caroline.”

“Caroline the waterbender,” he looked up and repeated with such care, his voice lifting easily with each syllable. He finally brought his gaze to her, weighing on every fibre of her being.

Her mother had always told her to be wary of those from the Fire Nation and she was adamant that the allure she felt was nothing more than a misplaced fear. She cleared her throat and shifted on one foot. “Yes,” she finally said, mustering all of her confidence to do so.

“Your work is impressive,” Klaus commented, glancing around at the crops surrounding them. That elicited a small spark in her chest. Many in her tribe would argue against doing such a job alone but she found comfort in making the crops her own little project. Something to take pride in, not that anyone would thank her.

“You haven’t seen anything yet,” Caroline informed him sweetly, her lashes fluttering. She finally lifted out a hand, pulled it into a fist and twisted. His knees buckled underneath him and dropped to the earth with a thud that made him groan instantly.

“Christ—“ he gasped out. His intense eyes of cobalt were wide, though she recognised the flashing ring of fire engulfing them. His lips parted as he studied her in awe. “How are you doing that?”

Caroline allowed herself the smallest of smirks and held her hands against the blue fabric wrapping her waist. “Bloodbending,” she lifted her chin before sneering, “I only use it in the face of a threat.”

The surprise that washed over his face was nothing new. She expected him to recoil like any other who had witnessed it in the past. Bloodbending wasn’t something to be taken lightly, often seen as dark and riddled with moral quandary. But he did no such thing, his knees still planted against the ground.

"I mean you no harm just an offer of peace,” he explained with a extension of his arms before his dimples sank into his cheeks, “but you _do_ know how to bring a man to his knees, sweetheart.”


	55. The Coffee Shop on Third

**bellemorte180 asked:**

**Oh!!!! Caroline and Klaus are both attorneys on opposite sides of a case. They are litigating which party can go to which social venue on which days (I've actually dealt with this shit) and both of them are fed up with their clients for being ridiculous.**

* * *

It had taken Caroline some convincing but as Katherine was utterly incapable of playing nice, she agreed to represent her in the divorce. She liked Stefan and she couldn’t say she _approved_ of Katherine’s actions but the choice opposing council was already introducing some bias. If his best man was representing him, then her maid of honour would help balance things out.

Klaus had sent her a message prior to their first proceeding not long after she agreed to it.

_I look forward to a good and clean fight, sweetheart._

Naturally, she spent the following ten minutes debating on the level of flirtation she could get away with. Ever since the wedding, they had cultivated a fine friendship of equal parts provocativeand rivalrous. Their views on the law and general courtroom etiquette differed—he was _Law and Order_ while she was more _Legally Blonde_ —but their obvious physical attraction was undeniable. At group events, they engaged in lengthy debates, always itching to just say _to hell with it_ and let the alcohol take charge. Yet they had done all _but_ crossing that line.

_Afraid to get your hands dirty?_

She had chewed on her nails after sending it. She didn’t usually take such a bold route but the wine she had been drinking that night was mighty encouraging.

_If you’re willing, game on._

So far, the proceedings had gone smoothly. Stefan got their apartment, their dog (Katherine was never really a pet owner) and their television. Simple. That was until it came to social venues. She laid her pen over the papers and stated, “My client believes it’s only fair she gets the coffee shop on Third as she was the one who introduced your client to it.” She watched Klaus carefully, trying to evade any and all ogling of him in that well-tailored suit. Though they talked law, they had never _seen_ each other in action and now that she had? She was interested in another type of _action_.

Stefan interjected before either council could reply or add, “Well, if your client believed in fairness, she wouldn’t have slept with my brother.” He was leaning far into the table, shooting daggers at Katherine, who was coolly inspecting her nails.

Klaus sighed and began to place a hand out on the table. “Stefan, mate.” Caroline pressed her lips tightly at the sight of his Adam’s apple bobbing. It was really the last thing she should have been thinking about during the deterioration of their friends’ marriage but it was so easy to get caught up in the idea.

Katherine hummed, “Maybe I wouldn’t have slept with your brother if you hadn’t been flirting with my cousin.” She finally gave him eye contact and grinned.

“Elena and I were just friends!” Stefan argued, gesturing wildly. Caroline couldn’t help the small smile on her lips (Stefan had always had a soft spot for Elena) and when she found Klaus staring right at her with the same expression, she bit down.

“Yeah?” Katherine, as grandiose as ever, rose from her seat, the six-inch heels she had insisted on wearing only adding to the drama. She rested her fingertips on the table and leaned forward to whisper, “How _was_ your date last night?”

“That happened _after_ you slept with Damon,” he retorted, his whole face scrunching at the words. She exchanged a blank look with Klaus. They all knew that wasn’t _strictly_ the truth. Emotional cheating was just as detrimental to relationships. It just so happened Katherine was the one inclined to the _physical_. Stefan eventually huffed and flitted his hand out. “Fine. You can have the coffee shop. I get the bistro.”

“Now, _that’s_ unfair!” It was Katherine’s turn to raise her voice. Caroline tugged her by the wrist, encouraging her to sit down. Katherine obliged, thankfully, but there was no chance of such obedience occurring in any other context. “You know that bistro is the only place I’ll eat burgers from!”

Stefan offered a short smirk, folding his arms tightly. “Then I want the coffee shop on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That’s when you can have the bistro.”

Katherine’s eyes widened and she _not so_ politely, pointed out in offence, “I’m a vegetarian on Tuesdays, you asshole!”

Klaus shot a dull look Caroline’s way and she nodded. She took Katherine by the arm and leaned away from the table to whisper, “Can’t you be a vegetarian on Wednesdays?”

“Absolutely not!” Katherine whispered back with a sharp tone. She then gestured loosely to her body, eyebrows raised. “My modelling agency has me on a _strict_ meal plan.”

Caroline’s brows knitted closely. “Then why the hell do you want the bistro so badly?”

“I don’t _really_ ,” Katherine murmured, a small laugh choking out under her breath,“I just want to piss him off.”

Caroline’s lips parted as she watched her friend shrug. “Jesus, Kat...” she groaned, rubbing her temples. She loved the girl but she could stand to be a little less... _everything_.

“Miss Forbes?” Klaus called softly across the table. His voice was pure heaven to her ears, the kind that she could fall asleep and wake up to.

She fluttered her eyelashes and threw a glance his way. “My apologies,” she replied abruptly, sitting up straight. “My client will accept those terms under the condition that only she may use the Mystic Nightclub on Fridays.”

“Nice,” she heard Katherine mutter beside her, undoubtedly smirking. Yes, that was more _her_ preference than Katherine’s, but their divorce impacted her social life just as much as theirs.

Stefan was swift to whine, “But Friday is their double shot night!” It was in moments like this it was easy to remember he was the youngest in his family. The straining notes of displeasure were so obvious.

“Miss Forbes, my client has been rather generous considering the _circumstances_ ,” Klaus attempted to point out, tilting his head towards Katherine. If this were settled in a bar, she was sure his language would consist entirely of insults. Katherine had landed on her feet and in the bed of Klaus’ older, _better dressed_ (her words) brother not long after the divorce was filed. That only added insult to Stefan’s injuries, including, but not limited to, estrangement from his own brother. And seeing as Elijah was staying with Klaus for the time being, it was _complicated_.

She tossed her blonde locks behind her and remained firm in her reply, “Your client can have any other day of the week.”

Klaus studied her for a moment, eyes narrowing. She had no time to consider how attractive it was; they were negotiating on their friends’ lives, after all. With the clearing of his throat and a small adjustment of his tie, he asked, “Don’t you think such an agreement might have an impact on third parties?” His brows twitched upward and his eyes searched hers.

Caroline knew exactly the reason for his question. Mystic Nightclub had been the location of one heated dance between them not too long ago. It was also where she had come to realise he was the magnet for many other pretty ladies. It wasn’t a game she would play unless she was sure to win. She traced an invisible line across the page, her pen hovering, and mused, “That depends on _one_ of the third parties’ intentions, Mr. Mikaelson.” She offered him her blue eyes, raising an eyebrow.

“They are most pure, I assure you,” he replied calmly and the corners of his lips curled just a tad. It was a familiar expression. He had used at the club one night. One more drop of alcohol and she would have bit the bullet. Oh, she was so screwed.

“God, get a room,” Katherine finally groaned, slumping back against her chair.

Stefan squared his shoulders and nodded. “That I can agree on.”

“Fuck off, Stefan.”


	56. Opportunist

Klaus has been watching her sate her hunger for the last ten minutes. Katherine sent a message bragging of her new sire, an offering of sacrifice to spare her own life. The poor lad trapped in her arms barely stood a chance when she released her monster. It was magnificent. The girl before him was no sacrifice. She was leverage. "Might I suggest you find a more discreet location?” he finally calls out across the parking lot.

The young girl tears herself from her victim immediately, face smeared with crimson that clings to her blonde curls. Her eyes, though swirling with darkness, manage to find his. “Who are you?” she chokes out. She’s terrifying and _terrified_. She seems to struggle with the new set of teeth bestowed upon her as her jaw hangs slack. Drops of blood are collecting at the points like water hanging from the ceiling of a cave.

“A well-wisher,” he states, clasping his hands at his front.

She releases the boy and he falls into a crumpled heap on the ledge. “What’s happening to me?” Oh, her voice is so fragile, shaking on every note but she’s trying hard to mask it. She tosses her hair over her shoulder and rolls her shoulders. He can’t help but admire her stubbornness to appear anything less than composed.

For so many, it’s an affliction, a horrifying burden, a disease. He wants to sound empathetic, to soothe her misery with false assurances, but he can’t help but sound utterly amused when he informs her, “I’m afraid you’re in transition.”

Her jaw tenses and she drops off the ledge. “To what?” she asks the moment her feet land on the concrete with a thud.

Klaus’ lips slowly curl and he steps forward, gesturing out a hand. “Come on now, love, I’m sure you can connect the dots.” The veins under her eyes fail to sink back in, her urges undoubtedly driving her every thought. She lifts her chin and he captures it swiftly between his fingers. “Sharp fangs, lust for blood... Both very typical of our kind. I don’t suggest testing your reaction to sunlight, though; current media has skewed the public perception a tad.”

“A vampire,” she whispers. His eyes light up at the way she says it. Filled with dread and disgust. He can’t wait to show her otherwise.

“Clever girl,” he offers in return and drops his hand. He tilts his head to study her expression under the muddied remnants of the corpse behind her. “How do you feel?”

“Hungry,” she pauses and her eyes narrow before she adds bitterly, “and _patronised_.”

It’s good to see there’s a sense of humour hiding under the bloody visage of a newly-born monster. He chuckles and lowers his head, “My apologies. I don’t tend to stick around for the messy part.” It’s true. Baby vampires are unpredictable, more trouble than they’re worth. Not her. He will see to it.

“So why are you?” The blonde crosses her arms and clarifies, “Sticking around.”

He lets out a heavy sigh and paces past her. “It’s fascinating the lengths people will go to, to avoid my wrath, including turning innocents such as yourself,” he explains leisurely. He turns to face her and raises an eyebrow at the blank expression she holds.

“ _Wrath_?” She finally scoffs out a light giggle. It’s the first time her eyes clear and he’s mesmerised by the bright blue greeting him. “What are you? Some kind of Boogie Man for vampires?”

“Something like that,” Klaus meets her in the middle of the parking lot once more and lowers his voice to say, “but perhaps I can be of service to you.”

Those pools of blue travel over his expression carefully. She grits out a reply, “What can _you_ do for _me_?”

With that, his lips spread out, revealing a toothy grin. “Fancy getting some revenge, sweetheart?”


	57. Sweet Smile

**clichefangirldreamer asked:**

**“You know, the longer you keep staring at her, the creepier you seem”**

* * *

The blonde is standing upright, her shoulders back, and a smile on display as she takes part in conversation after conversation. Klaus catches her look down for a moment, her chest rising and falling in a sigh, but she’s quick to plaster on that same, polite expression when she’s greeted by another town resident. Klaus can’t help but watch her. After eight months in Mystic Falls, he has yet to find any admirable qualities. Most seem to be born there, live there and inevitably die there. He and his siblings were dragged.

“She’s pretty. Outfit’s a little garish,” Rebekah comments with her nose expertly raised. She’s covering a glass of champagne under her arm as she slumps onto the stone bench beside him; the parents in Mystic Falls are much more pedantic about the ‘legal drinking age’ than their own. “Who is she?”

Klaus takes a moment to consider his answer. He’s been eavesdropping more than he would care to admit and his younger sister is nothing but a gloat. “Caroline Forbes. The new sheriff’s daughter,” he finally answers and crosses one foot over the other.

He can see Rebekah smirking from the corner of his eye. She makes no allowances in her comment, “You know, the longer you keep staring at her, the creepier you seem.” She finally brings out her glass and takes a short sip.

He shifts his jaw and his eyes narrow as he replies, “And the more you talk, the more I long to slam my head into this table.” Caroline is glancing around aimlessly, her arms folded over her yellow sundress. He’s quick to clear his throat and look elsewhere when her gaze passes their way.

“So you don’t want me to befriend her and _suggest_ how wonderful you are?” Rebekah asks, smug as ever. She brings her nails up to inspect them as she waits for his reply. Despite her divisive personality, she has had no trouble fitting in as a freshman, though it hasn’t been without bloodshed; a number of girls would happily see her head on a pike.

It’s only then Klaus throws a look towards his sister, a gentle smile spreading on his lips. “By all means, talk away,” he replies and holds a hand out.

“Thought so,” Rebekah snorts. She places the champagne flute in his grasp and settles her palms back onto the bench. She tilts her head and joins him in his observation. “She’s probably a cheerleader,” she comments, leaning in to taunt him, “id est out of your league.”

“Glad to see you’re enjoying Latin so thoroughly,” he murmurs into the glass before sipping. It tastes cheap but it’s the only thing being served aside from water.

“It passes the time.” Rebekah shrugs and picks herself up off the bench. He furrows his brows at her and she grins. She then scurries across the lawn, calling out, “Mother, who’s your new friend?”

In his moment of distraction, he has missed their own mother approaching Caroline and her mother. Caroline’s eyes grow wide as Rebekah joins them but she looks relieved, finally offering a smile that he could only wish to provoke, himself. His sister is undoubtedly and dramatically complimenting her dress as Caroline looks down and grips the fabric under her thumbs. It’s not a minute longer and they’re now looking at him. He feels his body sit upright all of a sudden and scrambles to place the champagne flute on the edge of the bench.

“Nik, this is Caroline. She’s a senior, too!” Rebekah’s uncharacteristically shrill voice rings out. She’s got Caroline hooked by the arm and is tugging her over to the bench. “Isn’t it lovely that you have so much in common already?”

Up close, Caroline is mesmerising. Her lashes flutter and her lips part but she eventually hurries out her greeting, “Hi! I’m sure we’ll be in lots of classes together, Nik.” Her blush lips form the perfect smile and she waves with an energy he has never been capable of.

“Call me Klaus.”

Caroline stares and her brows knit closely together. She twists to say, “Didn’t you just—” but Rebekah has already occupied herself with hunting for another drink.

“They’re both nicknames,” he informs her in a matter-of-fact manner when she turns back to him.

“That’s funny!” she says all of a sudden and descends into a nervous fit of giggles. It’s nothing short of hypnotising and he’s absolutely sure his senior year will no longer be as dull as anticipated. When he doesn’t reciprocate she fumbles out an explanation, “You know...Nik...nickname...” He wants to laugh but she’s so blindingly sunny in her disposition that his face is like stone. Her cheeks flush and she settles on the space left by Rebekah. “So, _anyway_ , do you play football?”

He can feel himself shrinking inward, can’t stop himself from the brittle way he replies, “I think that would make me a traitor.”

Her eyes go wide and her smile stretches awkwardly. “Right!” she exclaims with another laugh. “What do you do around here for fun, then?” When she asks the simple question, he knows his luck is about to run out. They might enjoy a lengthy conversation but come Monday, she’ll find out he isn’t apart of the crowd she belongs to and inevitably cut ties. It’s better, he decides, not to delude himself with the idea of her friendship or anything of the sort.

So instead, he picks up the glass of champagne beside him and takes a swig. He doesn’t offer any eye contact in his dry reassurance, “I’m not sure fun is entirely possible in Mystic Falls but you’ll fit right in if that’s what you’re worried about.“

“Excuse me?” Her sweet voice turns sour so easily in his presence; it’s a refreshing sound.

“You know...” he swirls the champagne around and his dull voice continues on, “cheerleaders...jocks...the whole prom committee farce.” He lazily turns his head her way and takes in her blank expression.

Caroline scoffs out a laugh and her eyes seem to light up with irritation. He can’t bring himself to look away from the enigmatic blue staring right at him. She raises her index finger and admonishes him, “I resent ‘farce’. Extracurriculars are important for—“

“Building character?” he answers innocently, eyebrows jumping at her.

She gives him a dead-eyed stare. “Yes, actually,” she eventually says, tossing a lock of hair over her shoulder. “Maybe if you joined one, you would know.”

His smirk is on show, dimples sinking into his cheeks, and he leans in to murmur, “Bold of you to assume I give a shit, love.”

“Would it be so bad if you did?” she asks without a single thought. It’s all the more amusing to him that she doesn’t pull back, only maintains the distance between them. “You could actually enjoy yourself.”

He rolls his eyes and sets down the glass once again. “Highly unlikely.”

Caroline crosses her arms over her chest and tests the gap. “Wanna bet?” her words are hush but awfully enticing.

His whole body stalls and an amused breath escapes him. “Pardon?”

“Try out for football.”

His features twist; the very thought of him running around the muddy school field, embarrassing himself in front of hundreds of people, is laughable. “Why on earth would I do that?”

Caroline’s eyes flicker down his frame and he suddenly feels as though he is the one display. When her eyes reach his again, her lips twitch. She lets out a gentle sigh and laments, “Because you need an extracurricular and I need someone to cheer for.” And with that, she shrugs and rises from the bench.

He watches her as she strolls across the lawn to meet her mother, sure that if he looks away she’ll disappear from his sight. Perhaps trying out for the team wouldn’t be so horrendous.


	58. Untimely Reunions and Awkward Explanations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Drabble Note: The events of the show are not the same as this drabble. Cami isn't dead at the time of reference in this.**

**an-awesome-wavve asked:**

**general prompt: kol/klaus/caroline**

**expanded ideas/options: kol/caroline as 💖best friends💖 or roommates, klaus seein caroline and kol together and feeling confused(and maybe a little jealous?), KC meeting through kol (AH/AU?)**

* * *

Klaus is following her into the apartment, letting the door fly shut behind him. Caroline’s too drunk to even register how their neighbours might feel about the abrupt noise. The moment she spotted him under the club’s strobe lights, eyes dark and perturbed, she knew there was a storm afoot. That was especially certain when she had, had her tongue down his younger brother’s throat a mere second prior.

Yes, she understands that entangling oneself with more than one member of the same family is far too many. But in the fifteen years since leaving Mystic Falls for good (her mother’s death was the final straw), the social rules have become somewhat skewed. Contrary to the wild ideas she’s sure Klaus has conjured, however, there is no love lost nor gained between her and Kol.

They bumped into each other in a New York bar and after deciphering his explanation for as to how he was still alive, he gave her his phone number and they parted ways. _You’ll be bored of it sooner or later and I happen to be an expert in remedying that_ were his words that night but she quickly laughed it off. It took another year and a series of lousy attempts at fitting in with the humans of the city before she allowed his words to ring true.

The first time she called, she felt a little uneasy, like she was going behind Klaus’ back because _yes_ , she knew as well as he did that with a single word, he would be making good on _that_ offer. But she wasn’t ready. Human life was over for her but life as a vampire was just beginning. There were no monsters to fend off or friends to consider when making questionable choices. She could do as she pleased. The only problem was knowing where to start and the youngest Mikaelson brother knew exactly that.

He’s somewhat childish and she often considers leashing him for bad behaviour, but the thing is: Kol is fun. He convinces her to do stupid things, things that, as a human, she had been too afraid to even consider. Together, they’ve compelled themselves seats at New York Fashion Week, reenacted scenes from Gossip Girl and stayed out longer than any human or vampire theoretically should. They’re five years into their friendship and cohabitation when Klaus makes his appearance and while Kol thinks it’s just _hilarious_ , she’s all kinds of flustered.

“I think we should talk, love,” Klaus calls out and she just knows his hand is outstretched. But as much as she would love to feel his touch, she’s been strutting at a speed she knows he won’t quite catch her at.

Caroline spins his way and lifts her shoulders. “Should we?” she asks incredulously. She’s trying her best to will away any embarrassment from her cheeks, hoping her anger will mask it instead.

He looks behind her and then leans in to murmur, “I would prefer we did it somewhere more private, though.” It’s hard not to gravitate inwards as his familiar voice is provocative in her drunken state. It’s something that has kept her sane on the loneliest of nights; she plays his now ancient voicemail over and over and berates herself in the mirror every morning after. It’s practically a routine at this point.

It’s not long before Kol interjects with a sigh, “Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just basking in the company of my friends, Ben and Jerry, and their cousins, Haagen and Dazs.” He’s propping both of his legs up onto the couch when he says it, having rushed ahead of them. He places two tubs of ice cream on each knee with one spoon held ceremoniously between them. Living with him has made such a sight mundane and she’s actually surprised that he’s limiting himself to just the two.

She twists her head back to Klaus and smirks. “Anything you need to say, you can say it now,” are the firm words she speaks when she folds her arms. 

Klaus takes another glance at his brother and sighs. “Fine.” He steps back on his right foot and with an aloof expression in her direction, he asks, “Might I have an explanation as to _why_ you’re attempting to deflower my brother, then?”

Her eyes grow wide and her neck outstretches as she echoes, “ _Deflower_ him? Are we in middle school? He’s a thousand years old. I’m pretty sure someone else got that covered.”

Kol’s mouth is full of chocolate brownie ice cream as he cries, “Don’t listen to her! She’s _awful_! I was but a pure virgin before she entered my life!”

She wastes no time shooting him a dirty look. “Seriously?”

He gulps down the dessert and smiles. “Darling, I only jest,” he assures her and throws an equally sympathetic look at his brother. “Nik, I promise she did not have her way with me,” he says it slowly, calmly even, but murmurs an aside, “ _except for that one time_ ,” he quickly raises his spoon in the air and adds, “but apart from that!”

She feels her whole mouth become dry but coughs out, “Kol!”

That was where things became a little _complicated_. Early in their friendship, she received a phone call from New Orleans. It was a butt-dial and she probably should have hung up the moment she realised as such. But curiosity got the best of her and she stayed on the line. That was until Kol caught her crying in the restaurant bathroom. In true Kol fashion, he dragged her to his favourite bar and they downed shot after nasty shot. As it turned out, they had more in common than she realised. Caroline dredged up some old insecurities and he drunkenly informed her of his own. What transpired afterwards was history. She isn’t proud of it but over time, they’ve turned it into something they can laugh over. Now, though? Not so much.

By the time she can bring herself to look at Klaus again, her face is burning bright red. Klaus isn’t impressed and she doesn’t expect him to be, but she’s surprised to see how stoic he looks. A short breath escapes him and his low voice rumbles, “So you _have_ had intercourse?”

“Oh my god,” she can’t help the admission and brings her hands to her face. She hasn’t been so mortified in years but the very concept of it angers her. She’s long since abandoned the Caroline Forbes from Mystic Falls, the Caroline Forbes that took every action with an equal measure of concern for others’ opinions, that lived too much of her life regretting. And she refuses to reacquaint herself with that girl. She finally throws her hands up and exclaims, “Yes! Once! But I don’t see how that is _any_ of your business!”

Klaus doesn’t raise his voice but it does become snappier, “When was it, hm?” It’s only now she can hear his irritation truly grow. He’s stepping closer all of a sudden but she stands her ground. He tilts his head down and the hurt in his eyes is crystal clear. “Were you ever going to mention it when you finally set foot on my doorstep?”

“Okay, first of all, _you_ are the one who made that offer, not me,” she mutters and quickly swallows when he shifts his jaw. She knows it’s wrong of her to lay it all on him. She wants it; her eyes are just as telling as they were that night on the forest floor. Over fifteen years later, she still wants it. But even so, she feels inclined to bring out every defence. “Second of all, you were busy sleeping with your therapist at the time, which is _highly_ unethical by the way, and _third_ of all, it wasn’t even that good!”

“Well, that’s a bit harsh, darling,” Kol comments, his mouth stuffed with two different flavours of ice cream, and he’s leaning back against the arm of the couch to get a better view.

Caroline lets her eyes fall shut and she takes a deep breath. “We were drunk and yeah, a little bored,” she explains tiredly before opening her eyes — she doesn’t want to divulge on how insecure that phone call had left her. Klaus’ expression is now an undecipherable mix of anger, concern and god knows what else. She does what she does best and paces past him. “So yes, we ‘slept’ together and no,” her voice is becoming higher and more exasperated as she rambles on, ”I don’t think I _would_ have mentioned how Kol spent thirty minutes trying to find my g-spot!” She finishes the confession by turning his way, chest rising and falling with breath after breath of ardour. It’s the only sound for a few moments. They’re caught in a staring match.

“Now you’re just being mean,” Kol breaks the silence with his complaint. He finally sets both tubs of ice cream on the coffee table and shoots up from the couch. “I was suffering from performance anxiety!”

In any other instance, she might acknowledge it, make a returning quip, but she can’t even utter a word. Klaus is moving closer once more and his voice is just as tired as hers when he asks, “And what was that in the club? Were you bored then, too?”

“Oh that was definitely not out of boredom,” Kol’s ill-timed joke is delivered with a proud smile.

“Kol, go to your room,” she grits out between her teeth, refusing to look at either brother as her cheeks flush. She won’t pretend that it’s not something she enjoys doing upon occasion. They’re friends. They get drunk, they dance and if they’re feeling particularly giddy and unimpressed with the surrounding picks, they make out. Nothing more. They’ve learnt the extensiveness of their _incompatibility_ the hard way and _she_ never makes the same mistake twice.

“Alriiiiight,” he sings before dragging his feet along. Caroline and Klaus look down as they wait for him to exit.

It’s when they hear the door knob click back into place that Klaus presses his luck with a bitter question, “Not _our_ room?”

Her shoulders square and she sucks in a breath. The smug, judgemental look on his face is enough for her to pace once again. Her arms are gesturing out, giving into the drama of it all, when she berates him, “After everything, _you_ don’t get to come here and judge _me_!” Her vampire speed brings her chest to chest with him without a thought. “Or do I have to remind you of Hayley and your little bundle of joy?!”

Her mouth drops open and her eyes go blank. She blames the alcohol. She _will_ blame the alcohol.

His familiarly plump lips spread out into the most shit-eating grin and his dimples are simply rubbing salt into the wound. “You’re very referential of my personal life, sweetheart. Are you jealous?”

She can’t help her tongue from wetting her lip and feels a thrill run down her spine at the intensity of his stare. “Are you?” is all she can manage out.

Klaus lifts a palm to her jaw and his thumb strokes her cheekbone. “Undeniably so,” he sighs out, his eyes heaving with darkness.

They don’t have to say a word more. Their lips become fused together and their bodies entangled. She whimpers softly as he nibbles on her bottom lip and she brushes her fingers through the curls she hasn’t stopped thinking about since she saw him in the club. They’re soon stumbling back and he’s fumbling to get his jacket off. She helps him throw it to the ground, still engaged in a passionate kiss. His tough hands grasp at her thighs and he groans a complaint over her jeans. She squeaks against his lips when he lifts her up and backs her into the wall. She’s totally trapped back in her younger self’s body once again because every touch and every kiss feels dangerous. She hadn’t planned on seeing him for at least another decade, hadn’t planned on beginning that forever for at least a few more, but she’s starting to wonder if she should renegotiate those plans. Keeping in touch isn’t a bad thing, after all.

Caroline forces his head back and with her fingers settled on the base of his neck, she warns him, “If you so much as mention your brother at any point, I _will_ kick you out.”

“Duly noted,” he hums, pressing his thumb to her bottom lip, “but I do hate to tell you that you’ve already broken that rule.” She breaks out into a laugh and he shares it before leaning in once more.

“Okay, so!” Kol’s loud and shrill voice knocks them out of any and all sexual tension.

Klaus drops his head against her shoulder and exclaims, “For Christ’s sake. Kol—“

When they look, Kol’s strolling out of his bedroom with a backpack strapped to him and his favourite pillow stuffed under his arm. It was a gift she had given him after he kept stealing hers. “I can see and _hear_ ,” he stops to glare at the two of them, “that this is leading somewhere, so I think I’ll take my chances compelling a room downtown.” He lifts his chin at them and glances away with a ‘hmph’ before exiting out of the apartment.

Caroline’s quick to call out before the door can close, “Remember the handyman is coming at two!” When they finally settle into privacy once more, Klaus raises an amused eyebrow and she blinks widely. “What? Our hot water’s acting up.”


	59. On-Call

**sanju3000 asked:**

**This is a prompt klaus as Derek Shepard and Caroline as Meredith grey please please! Thanks**

* * *

Klaus is there by the time she rushes into the changing rooms. Caroline doesn’t look at him but can sense his eyes watching her. She’s got her hand twisting the combination of her locker with a fumbling force when he calls from across the room, “Been busy, have we?”

She finally yanks open the door and it swings into the rest of the lockers. With a small huff, she turns and addresses him, “Well, unlike you, I try to at least get a life outside of this place.”

She and Klaus started as residents together a year earlier, constantly vying for the top spot in order to spite the other. His complete lack of showmanship against her was frustrating, sure. But a little competition was always healthy. Cheerleading and pageants had taught her just that. The sexual tension on the other hand? Not so much. She could have handled it when they shared challenging glances, could have stifled every buzz and tickle in the pit of her stomach. That’s what she would have thought had they not slept together a week before they began their residency. And like that, the stranger from her one-night stand became her colleague. Very inconvenient for her work _and_ sex life.

“Ouch, love.” He holds a hand to his chest and frowns. She rolls her eyes and he turns to his locker. Slipping out of his henley, he asks, “So, what was the big event?”

“Event?” it comes out less conscious than she would like as her eyes catch on his bare chest. He glances at her and nods at the pair of high heels on her feet. She eventually lets her eyes fall to her shoes and her cheeks flush. The smirk he presents does nothing to soothe her. “Oh,” she coughs out and quickly faces her locker, “it was a blind date.”

“Blind date? How horrible it must have been for you not knowing every little detail beforehand,” he makes his commentary absently, throwing on his scrubs. “How do they feel about your occupation?”

Caroline reaches to undo the strap of her heel and tilts her head side to side as she recalls, “Considering I left before we finished the starter, I don’t think I’ll be getting a second date.”

“My apologies,” the note of satisfaction in his voice is too obvious not to be intentional.

She pauses, both shoes held in her grasp by their straps. “It’s fine,” she murmurs and shoves the pair into the locker. “I probably would have cut it short before dessert anyway. He was giving me ‘keeping my hair intact is more important than making you come’ vibes.” The moment the words leave her lips, her whole face twists into cringe. She contemplates shoving her head into the locker and slamming the door on herself.

Before she can take action, she feels a gradual warmth across her back. Klaus leans in and his breath grazes her earlobe. “And that is a...deal breaker for you, Forbes?” he asks in a low drawl.

“Isn’t it for every woman?” Caroline blurts out without a second thought. He breathes out the amusement through his nose. She rolls her shoulders and bites her lip. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“If it’s any consolation, I am _very_ dedicated to that particular task,” his voice finally lifts as he strolls away from her. From the corner of her eye, she can see him lift his head and glance at the ceiling. It’s so nonchalant that she wants to burn a hole into his head. “Perhaps, it has something to do with...not having a life outside of this place?”

“Doctor Mikaelson,” she calls firmly, spinning his his direction. She folds her arms and glares.

Klaus stops in his tracks at the door frame. “Yes, Doctor Forbes?” he replies with a wide grin.

She inhales heavily, her chest rising and falling, and allows a small smile to grace her lips. “Are you off-duty this Saturday?”


	60. Buttercream

**clichefangirldreamer asked:**

**Caroline stress-baking and Klaus not helping AT ALL**

* * *

It’s eight p.m. when Klaus emerges from his studio, splashes of blush and crimson across the collar of his henley. He finds Caroline hunched over in the kitchen; her curls are held tightly by an elastic, bouncing with her every movement, and she’s wearing the novelty t-shirt Kol had bought him for his birthday years ago. She always captivates him no matter how she’s dressed but something about her wearing his clothes leaves him undeniably mesmerised. If he could speak to the jaded fifteen-year old he once was, he would assure him of how lovely life would be with the overly perky lab partner he had been saddled with. “Good evening, sweetheart,” he calls out carefully, rolling a drooping sleeve back up his arm.

“Evening!” Caroline greets with a strained spike of energy. She’s whisking furiously at a bowl of butter and icing sugar, eyes trained on the swirling pattern. The last few hours have been spent flipping through old recipes and attempting to find the perfect one to suit her needs. The first batch of cupcakes had come out somewhat dry so she shoved them out of sight until further notice. Klaus _had_ mentioned a visit from his mother at some point. They would do well enough then if only to see Esther bite back the full extent of her distaste. 

He rounds their living area and stops to tug the cord on their standing lamp; she’s been working in the dim lights fixed under the cupboards. “How was your day?” he asks, adjusting the lamp setting until he finds her noted preference.

Caroline throws a toothy smile and frozen eyes his way for a moment and bites out, “Fine. Never better.”

“Ah, of course,” he replies drily as he saunters towards the kitchen. He leans one arm on the counter and rests his head on his hand to view her. She’s wearing a dash of white across her eyebrow and along her cheek. The sight tugs at the corner of his lips but he maintains composure to conclude, “So that’s why your face is covered in powdered sugar.”

She doesn’t make eye contact but he catches the tightening of her jaw. “I’m just baking.”

“Stress-baking,” he corrects her, one brow rising, and taps the edge of the bowl.

Caroline offers him a short glance and he nods his head in an attempt to goad her. Pursing her lips, she mutters, “Same thing,” and returns to her task.

He shifts to stand behind and crowds her against the counter. His cologne of cinnamon spice and pine had been a good Christmas gift, she decides when inhaling the notes. He snakes his arms around her waist and rests his chin atop her shoulder. “Hm, cupcakes...” He rolls his head to look up at her face and muses, “Do you intend to spite someone, love?”

“I...” the words are soon lost, her jaw hanging slack. At the first sight of his dimples, she attempts to shove him. “I hate how you always do that!” she whines but he maintains his grip. After so many years, he has become finely attuned to her baking habits. Cookies are polite, anything pastry related is friendly, cupcakes are spiteful and pies? The ultimate attempt at manipulation usually reserved for Mystic Falls Council meetings, at which she argues until she wears the members down.

Klaus raises both eyebrows and with a gentle kiss to her bare neck, prods, “Well?”

She presses her lips together and her eyes wander. He knows, despite his willingness to be one, that she’s reluctant to use him as a soundboard. But like clockwork, the dams burst with her frustration. “Elena is being super sneaky!” she squeaks, slapping her spatula against the counter.

“And I thought Katherine was the evil one,” he attempts to joke and is received with a prompt glare. The Gilbert Twins have been a fixture in Caroline’s life since birth and though he finds great flaws within both, Katherine is the only one he can bring himself to appreciate at times. Katherine might piss him off with her abrasive and _invasive_ approach (especially when his older brother is concerned) but she is nothing short of honest and loyal to Caroline. Elena, on the other hand, has been on increasingly thin ice. With a yielding sigh, he asks, “What did she do this time?”

Caroline’s forehead creases as she begins to prattle, “There’s this article on the Lockwood development that’s up for grabs and Elena _totally_ tried to bribe Meredith with coffee for it!”

Elena is an _okay_ friend but she never fails to bring out the worst of Caroline’s insecurities and he loathes seeing her measure herself up against an old high school rivalry. He hates to say ‘ _I told you so_ ’ but he had, in fact, warned her of the dangers of working with a close friend. Even Katherine had grimaced and offered a ‘ _good luck with that_ ’ before gulping down a cocktail. Instead, he pushes out his bottom lip thoughtfully and gently knocks his chin against her shoulder. “So you’re trying to do one better and give your boss cupcakes?”

Caroline tilts her head towards him ever so slightly and clarifies with her pageant-like smile, “ _Lemon zest_ cupcakes. Her favourite.”

His dimples sink into his cheeks and he lets his voice twist with drama in reply, “Oh in that case, how could she refuse you?” He isn’t the least bit surprised that she has Meredith’s likes and dislikes memorised after only two months of work and it’s a wonder she feels content to stick around in their dead-end town when she’s worth much more. Still, he’ll wait for her to come to that conclusion on her own and happily agree when she suggests moving elsewhere.

She responds with a spiteful grin before attempting to slap him away. “Now, leave me alone! I need to finish the buttercream.”

He’s quick to bury his forehead into the back of her neck and takes full of advantage of his breath ghosting her skin as he replies, “You do?”

“Yes!” she squeaks, her shoulders tensing.

He takes the opportunity brush his fingers along the tops of her bare thighs, humming against her ear, “Need and want are two very different things, love.”

Caroline jumps in his hold and huffs away the shiver he’s proud to have incited. She sucks in a breath before firmly rebutting, “Okay, I _want_ to finish the cupcakes so I _need_ you to leave!”

Not only do his arms remain in place but he locks them closer around her waist. Nuzzling his nose into the nape of her neck, his lips brushing along, he murmurs, “But I’m afraid it’s so comfortable here.”

Caroline lets her eyes close as she groans, “Klaus...”

His bottom lip catches against her earlobe and he points out, “The buttercream can wait, don’t you think?”

“No, actually,” she retorts and lifts her chin. “Go call Elijah. Bother him.”

“Elijah is so dull these days,” he laments, returning to rest against her shoulder. He knows that she knows she can’t argue with that. Katherine had recently announced her pregnancy and while they’re happy for the pair, Elijah can’t seem to shut up about it. They’re certain he’s going to be hopeless in the delivery room. Klaus attempts his sweetest of smiles, though he’s never been great at it, and implores her, “Just let me watch. I won’t utter a single word.”

She eyes him for a long moment and he has to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep from grinning. “Fine but not a word,” she eventually concedes and he bites down harder to suppress the victory.

He obliges, of course. No words. She mentions nothing past that, however.

First, he runs his nose against her shoulder and glances at her. She has a concentrated expression plastered on her face once again. He takes the opportunity to press a kiss at the nape of her neck, just above the collar of her t-shirt. When he feels her relax slightly, he presses another kiss and another until he’s kissing a trail up to her ear. He can’t help but grin at the devilish thoughts consuming him and pecks the edge of her jaw to stifle it. Next, he lets his fingers fall down to her thighs again. He pauses to gauge her reaction but soon sneaks a hand under the worn out fabric and ghosts his fingers over her stomach. He brings his free hand to the collar of her shirt and tugs it to reveal more bare skin before pressing heated kisses to it. A short whimper leaves her and he erupts into a chuckle, struggling to keep his lips planted against her.

Caroline’s eyes fly open and she attempts to wriggle from his grasp. Facing him with a distance of four inches is all she can manage. She plants her hands on her hips and balks, “Okay, _seriously_?”

His face is blank, eyes wide and lips one push from pouting. He always does so well pushing her buttons as though he were put on this earth do so. “Did I do something wrong, love?” he asks with a drawn out blink.

“Shut up,” escapes from her mouth with a heavy sigh as she grasps him by the henley. She brings him close, fingers curled around the fabric, before kissing him with no intent to stop. The buttercream could _definitely_ wait.


	61. 썸

**an-awesome-wavve said:**   
**college student!KC, ah/au, there's an emergency and they get unintentionally stuck together somewhere on campus (they're like kinda distant friends?? not rivals, think yearning/pining that leads to fluff)**

* * *

Finals week will be the death of Caroline. The choice of Politics for a semester had proven to be an ill one; there were too many names to remember and too much jargon to comprehend. She blames Stefan for pushing them all to take a class together, though his own inability to understand the work seems to be punishment enough.

“Okay, I need coffee if we’re going to tackle Williamson tonight,” Katherine announces, practically slamming her hands on the table as she stands. She gives the shushing librarian nothing more than an eye roll and places her hands on her hips.

Elena, her sister, lifts a brow. “Starbucks?” she inquires, pen dangling from her fingers. It’s an oddity that she had actually chosen to attend the same college as her twin when their personalities are such polar-opposites. Katherine is brash and outgoing while Elena is sincere and passive. It’s lucky, really, as they’re hard to tell apart by face alone.

Katherine looks impassive. “Duh,” leaves her mouth low and her pupils are moving upward. In fact, their love for Starbucks coffee seems to be the one thing they do have in common. It’s sweet to see when they rock up to class, matching cups filled with lattes in their hands.

“Count me in!” Elena jumps up, swiping her phone off the desk. She does well to see through every impolite action of her sister’s — it had taken Caroline at least two months to realise the lack of  _ true _ disdain in Katherine’s words. She absently brushes out the early knots forming in her hair and says, “Stefan? Bonnie?”

Stefan’s reply is barely a mumble, “Yeah, alright.” His sweatshirt hood is drooping over his forehead and the stain from their previous all-nighter (Red Bull if her memory serves her) is still present. His Freshman year had been the most telling of his youngest sibling status; Caroline had dropped off an assignment only to be stunned by the  _ state _ of his dorm room. 

“I could use a break,” Bonnie rationalises, stretching out her arms for a brief moment. When she rises from her chair, she looks at Caroline expectantly. She has come to be the only person keeping Caroline sane since they roomed together in Freshman year; her collection of Wiccan paraphernalia was and continues to be bewildering but Caroline’s in awe of how extensive her knowledge is.

“I had coffee earlier,” Caroline answers, eyes trained on her notebook as she perfects the array of borders and doodles organising her words. She isn’t sure coffee will help their study session at all. Katherine tapped out midway through the second reading and tapped  _ on _ the edge of the table incessantly from then on. Elena and Bonnie try their best to make sense of the material by reading it aloud to each other while Stefan just stares at the pages mindlessly. The only person who really understands the material for more than just a string of separate words is...

“Klaus?” Caroline can’t help but lift her head when Katherine calls his name. She doesn’t dare to look at him for long, only a quick glance before she stares at Katherine, wide-eyed.

He’s brushing eraser fallout off his page. He sighs lightly and expresses, “I think I’ll stay, as well.”

“Of course,” Katherine manages but the purse of her lips is a dead giveaway. She’s just itching to giggle and gloat at the impending alone time Caroline and Klaus will share.  _ Don’t tell me you don’t want him to rail you, cupcake. I see you staring at his ass _ were the words Katherine had put so crudely after their first study session. Caroline instantly shoots daggers with her stare, though Katherine is barely containing a laugh in response. “See you guys soon,” she sings before they all stroll away.

Caroline watches them for as long as she can before bringing her gaze back to the table. Klaus is sitting opposite, eyes locked on her, and offers a pressed smile. She reciprocates, albeit less comfortably, and looks down at her page of cleanly displayed notes. She now regrets not tagging along. She could have stressed the need to stretch her legs, could have just agreed to the trip, but she hadn’t been thinking. And now, she’s sitting alone with the man she’s been content to avoid all semester.

He’s a new addition to their group. Katherine had scoped him out as the best in their class and quickly coaxed him into joining and  _ leading _ their study sessions. She can tell he’s unimpressed by their effort and even less impressed by having been tricked into the job of explaining concepts he knows like the back of his hand as if they’re all five years old. So it comes as a surprise to her that he even bothers to show up every Friday. He hadn’t struck her as the punctual type either but he’s there and out of breath ten minutes before they’re even set to begin. And while  _ she _ makes it a point to be punctual, she’s been betraying her own work ethic to delay any lengthy conversations.

Klaus is attractive in an ‘ _ effortless and he knows it _ ’ kind of way and she’s embarrassed to admit she stares at him more often than not. The times he has caught her are thankfully few but every time, he cocks his head as if to ask ‘ _ is there something on my face? _ ’. This leads her to blush furiously and shake her head before gluing her eyes to her book. She knows she’s more than capable of landing herself a date; pageants did wonders in freeing her from pesky insecurities and made her no stranger to competition. But Klaus feels like a wall too high to climb. And she  _ would _ like nothing more than to climb him (a thought she’ll reserve for her mind and her mind  _ only _ ). He knows not only the extent of his attractiveness (that damn accent is partly to blame) but his intelligence, too.

“So, how’s—”

“Did you—”

They both attempt to speak. Caroline has just lifted her head but it feels as though he hasn’t even glanced down for a second.

Her cheeks twinge with warmth. She shakes her head and lifts a hand out. “You go first.”

“No, I insist, sweetheart,” he takes not a single beat to reply. His stare is such an intense array of blues that she’s sure any woman would be compelled to accept any offer of his.

Caroline considers protesting it, suddenly so conscious of her own question. “Um, okay,” she can barely mutter, twisting her lips. His own lips are twitching. God, they’re too pretty to be real. She clears her throat and begins, “Did you— oh my god.”

She isn’t superstitious. She prefers reality to fiction and thinks horoscopes are too uncertain for her to accept. But the sudden low rumble that interrupts, swiftly accompanied by shaking tables and juddering rows of bookcases, tells her the universe would like to decline her request for a  _ freaking _ break.

“Christ—”

“Under the tables!” they hear amongst the panic. It’s the elderly librarian, who, despite her likely questionable joints, is already crouching beneath her desk.

Though they share a wide eyed look, she has no time to contemplate on how handsome he is nor worry about how she’s appearing in return. They’re both under the table on their hands and knees and halting suddenly to refrain from knocking heads in a matter of seconds. As she curls up, bringing her knees to her chest, he appears less affected. “Fancy meeting you here,” he teases with a grin. “ _ Do _ continue your question.”

It’s more reflexive than anything when she scoffs, “I don’t think now is the appropriate time.”

Klaus is slow to settle against the poorly maintained carpet beneath them. He crosses his legs and leans back onto his hands before saying laxly, “Nonsense, all my best conversations have been under a table.”

“During earthquakes?” she questions with raised eyebrows.

He mirrors her expression but his grin remains present. “A different sort of earthquake, love.”

She finds the way he’s eyeing her to be more challenging than she can handle. It’s difficult to know how serious he is but she huffs out her disapproval nonetheless, “Ugh.” She feels a small hitch in her chest when insecurity, what she is certain is impossible, is cast across his eyes. He doesn’t struggle to mask it, however, his jaw tight. The whole display leaves her more guilty than anything. She attempts to muse, staring at her knees, “I hope the others are okay.”

“I’m sure the Starbucks across the road is most structurally sound,” he assures her, no wound of her previous insult evident. She isn’t sure where to go from there. They don’t talk. She’s not even sure what a full conversation with him is like. Before she can rack her brains for some weak prompt, he conjectures in amusement, “On the bright side, even if they become trapped, they have enough coffee to keep them going for at least a week.”

She lifts her head then, glares at him as she spits, “You’re not funny.”

His head lolls gently and his lips curl. “Aren’t I?”

He is. And it’s infuriating. Though they don’t talk, she’s not ignorant to his consistent dry wit. Stefan tends to bear the brunt of it but he’s also the only one dumb enough to take the bait (something she thinks with  _ fondness _ ). What’s even worse is that, despite how late it is and how stressed they all are, her eyes are just glued to that stubbly jaw of his.

“No,” she replies succinctly and lifts her chin for a moment. When the silence settles, she breathes in. “What were you going to ask me?”

“I believe I insisted on you first,” he reminds her softly.

It’s then that they feel a short aftershock beneath them. She’s questioning her choice to study on the West Coast more than ever now. She pokes her tongue out to wet her lip, feels a thrill run through her when he catches it with his stare. “Well,” she swallows and squares her shoulders, “I’m reneging that.”

“Alright,” he replies, eyes sparkling, and folds his arms. “How’s your psych project coming along?”

It isn’t the least bit what she had expected. Her lips take more effort to part than they should but she manages to drag the answer from her throat, “It’s fine. Cami’s a little ambitious.” She’s being kind to her partner with that description; Cami is incredibly smart but somehow, even more anal retentive than herself. Her eyes suddenly narrow and she studies him as she says, “I don’t remember telling you about it.”

Klaus presses his lips into a smile and if she’s not mistaken, the tips of his ears become pink. “I may have eavesdropped on your rant to Katherine on Monday,” he eventually offers, letting his eyes travel along the floor and up her frame.

It’s a painfully long time before he reaches her eyes but the moment he does, she can only verbalise a whispering, “Oh.”

His smile grows and she’s presented with two dimples on each of his cheeks; she shifts uncomfortably at the sight as she feels heat pooling within her. “I promise I had only pure intentions.”

The not so pure lilt in his voice makes her laugh and he seems to smile even wider. “I’m sure Greta would beg to differ,” she points out, pausing for dramatic effect, and presses a finger to her lips, “or was that April?”

His eyes narrow and she nervously wonders if she’s struck a nerve. She wouldn’t say Katherine is always the most credible but her gossip is often enlightening and has helped her in the past. The quiet he leaves becomes too much and her eyes grow wide. It’s then that he proclaims grandly, “Ah well, I’ve been with so many women, how could I ever keep track?” A low chuckle breaks from his lips and she’s balling her fists in her lap at the sound. “Do you really think so low of me?”

Caroline ponders the question and concludes that any conceding will only offer him ammunition so she replies, “Yes.”

His smile is somewhat disappointed and her heart sinks. “Your turn,” he murmurs.

She nibbles on her lower lip and shifts her position once again. This time, she’s following his suit and leaning her hands back beside him. “I…” she’s careful with every word, “was just going to ask whether you had a nice visit home.”

When she looks at him from under her lashes, he’s offering his dimples again. “ _ Now _ who’s eavesdropping?”

“Shut up,” she quips in return, knocking her shoulder against his. “It’s not like we talk anyway.”

“No, we don’t,” Klaus expresses it with great disappointment. It’s unlike him. Everything so far has been unlike him. She holds her breath in wait. “I suppose that’s why we’ve resorted to getting to know each other by less than acceptable means.” He morphs his lips into a warm and comforting smile this time. “Perhaps we should rectify that.”

“Right now?” Caroline hates to nitpick but conversations with a guy she’s been fantasising over... _ under a table _ ...do  _ not _ soothe her nerves,  _ especially _ when those fantasies are in such similar settings.

“It’ll help pass the time,” he brings her back to reality. “This time, however, I  _ must _ insist you go first.”

His gaze is challenging once again;  _ fuck _ is all she can think. “Okay…” She hums and begins to draw circles in the blush-red carpet. “What’s your favourite food?” the words trail out of her.

“Really, love?”

She straightens up and looks blankly at him. “What?”

“You could stand to be a  _ little _ more scandalous.” Klaus teases her with raised eyebrows and a knock against her shoulder. “You really want to know my favourite food?”

“Yes!” she replies haughtily but maintains the hush volume. “What do you want me to ask? Your favourite sex position?” She’s starting to ramble and her eyes are animated as she carries on, “‘Cause as far as I’m aware, we don’t know each other well enough to get  _ scandalous _ .” She finishes with one frozen  _ jazz hand _ and by the look on his face (surprised but moments away from falling apart in amusement), she’s realising she needs to keep her  _ freaking _ mouth shut.

“Steak,” he rushes to answer before she can begin to comprehend how embarrassed she is. Her mouth is hanging open, no emotion registering on her face. His eyes soften and he clarifies, “My favourite food.”

She can only manage a slow nod at first. It takes her another second but she rasps out, “Good to know.” She must be bright red, bright  _ strawberry _ red. Never, in the  _ history _ of humanity, has anyone been so foot-in-mouth. She’ll just have to drop the class. Maybe become a hermit. That would do nicely.

Klaus regards her and his soft eyes begin to spark with interest. He inches in, his voice hush and grin on display, “And as much as I would  _ love _ to answer your other question now, I’d be happy to show you later down the line,” she pauses to suppress a chuckle, “if it really is such a burning question.”

Her throat is incredibly dry all of a sudden and she’s cursing the lack of A/C in their library. She can barely cover the warbling in her voice and the complementing breathlessness as she delivers a reply, “Wh— well, I—”

“So, I said to Greta, I said,  _ get fu _ —” the loud, familiar voice manages to cut her off. And like that, the universe finally offers her a break. There’s a stretch of silence. A moment later, Katherine’s crouching low (something she’ll curse them for  _ making _ her do later on, though they all know it’s her inclination to drama that does it) and staring dumbfoundedly at the pair of them. “Uh, hey, guys…” Her voice is musical and laced with amusement, “How’s it going under there?”

“Fine!” Caroline offers with the brightest smile and highest pitch. When she looks towards Klaus, he’s grinning ear to ear and she wants nothing more than to slap him out of it... _ and maybe kiss him, too _ . She throws another look at Katherine, who is now, too, grinning. She stammers a reply, “Y-you didn’t feel the earthquake?”

Katherine rolls her eyes ridiculously so and flicks a strand of hair from her face. “ _ Please _ , it was barely a tremble.”


	62. New Face

**an-awesome-wavve asked:**  
**ah/au, kc+group (the gang? the mikaelsons?) goes to an outdoor winter market, “Are you warm enough?"**

* * *

She didn’t intend to come back. Mystic Falls was just a safety net, one there for her when her mother unexpectedly fell ill. But the thing with moving away is: a lot can happen while you’re gone. Caroline doesn’t like to openly state the fact but she’s always had some insecurity over her standing in the group. The Salvatore brothers, Stefan and Damon, are, well, just that. Brothers. There’s no way to rid the group of one without losing the other (not that she doesn’t heavily consider it from time to time). There’s Katherine, who’s vibrant and content regardless of her standing, which is exactly why she holds her place well. She doesn’t give a fuck. Bonnie is reliable and reasonable. The one friend everyone needs in their life. And Elena… Elena is Elena. People fawn over her whether she or even they realise it. It’s nothing Caroline’s a stranger to and nothing she can blame her friend for. Elena’s pretty and well-mannered. Smart. But in a way that it doesn’t seem to threaten anyone. And she’s only grown more desirable with age, at least in the eyes of Stefan and Damon.

She can fondly accept these facts now. Meaningless competitions built in her head are a thing of the past. The high school Caroline had a much harder time, though. Everything about Elena was threatening. Her grades were high with little to no effort, her skin clear and her list of suitors  _ endless _ . But choosing a college halfway across the country made her see just how stupid she had been.

This time, however, the threat is different. Male. Awfully handsome and easy in his wit. And he has taken her place. Sure, she got in that quick ‘so you’ve found my replacement’ joke when they first met up and everyone laughed before moving on to more pressing topics. But Klaus, the parasite himself, had really done just that! When she’d returned home after their night at The Grill, she found herself mimicking their words in the mirror.

“ _ Klaus moved here for work last year! _ ”

“ _ He’s been such a lifesaver! _ ”

“ _ Nice to meet you, love. _ ”

_ Love _ . It seems to be his favourite moniker for her and she finds herself biting her tongue every time he says it. Because as much as she wants to run her fingers through those sandy blonde curls of his and have him brush through hers while whispering all sorts in that drawling accent...he’s the  _ enemy _ . Since his arrival, he has  _ conveniently _ taken claim over a game night that was distinctively  _ hers _ and robbed her of the one thing she prides herself on: party planning. The New Years Eve party he held was infuriatingly lavish and regardless of her attempts to avoid him all night, he seemed determined to follow her to every corner of the house.  _ House _ . She scoffs at the thought. No, it was not a house. It was a mansion. Probably the only thing that could fit an ego his size.

The outdoor market was  _ her _ idea this time, an attempt to claim back some organisational prowess. But while her friends put on smiles, she feels their disinterest despite her continuing efforts to infuse some excitement into it. Night falls and they’ve taken to huddling around one of the many space heaters at the middle of the grounds. It’s one of the perks of such a small town; events are often spent compensating for the fact. And one by one, two by two, they all made excuses to wander off and leave her with the...usurper.

The moment they’re left alone, Klaus shifts onto the seat beside her. “You don’t like me,” he states plainly but his eyes are twinkling with amusement. And she so does have to avoid looking at his eyes because they’re unfairly pretty and blue.

It’s a surprise after all this time because she’s been content to remain distant and  _ silent _ . But Caroline refuses any threat to her composure. She lifts her chin and replies, “No, I don’t.”

Klaus props his elbows onto his knees and the heat of his body radiates onto her. “Care to tell me why or do you just intend to let me flounder?”

“I think floundering sounds good.”

“Did I perhaps say something wrong?”

Caroline feels encouraged by the alcohol coursing through her, leans in until they’re a few inches apart. “I don’t know,  _ love _ ,” she replies with a lilt of bitterness. She settles back in her seat and looks ahead.

“Ah…” He nods, following her gaze to the heater before them. She can tell he’s smothering a laugh by the way he struggles to swallow it into his explanation, “It’s a habit. I’ll try to be mindful of that, lo— Caroline.” His near-slip feels intentional by the way the corners of his lips twitch on the final syllable of her name.

“That’s a start.”

“And the finish?”

Caroline scoffs and folds her arms. “We don’t need to do this nicey-nice business, okay? I don’t like you, you don’t like me—“

“Oh, that’s a shame,” he interrupts, loud and airy. He’s good at that, she’s noticed. Prodding and teasing. He revels in her highly-strung nature by flaunting his own personality so relaxed and  _ irritating _ . When she fails to reserve a table at a restaurant, whines about the long waiting list, he saunters in so smugly with a reservation wrapped in ribbon. Like clockwork.

She throws a look his way, eyes strained and mouth agape. “What?”

He doesn’t turn his head. In fact, he takes a moment to inspect his nails as explains, “I just suppose I thought you were much smarter than that.”

Her eyes go even wider and she juts her head out. “Excuse me?”

Klaus seems to enjoy letting her question linger in the silence. He takes his time once again, letting his head fall to the side, and informs her, “I think I’ve made it abundantly clear that I like you, Caroline.”

“You… What?” Caroline’s forehead creases and she shakes her head. “No, you don’t. Ever since I got back, you’ve been determined to push me out of the group!” None of her accusations seem to register on his face. But there’s no way he can deny it! Her hands are flailing and she practically bounces in place in the fervour of her belief. “Come on! You  _ took over  _ hosting game night! You bought  _ everyone _ ridiculous gifts  _ and _ you stole my New Years Eve party— why are you laughing?!”

He has his hand pressed to his mouth as his amusement seeps through. She only frowns in turn. “Apologies, I—“ the words don’t make it past his throat when another chuckle erupts.

Her jaw tightens and she barely bites out, “It’s not funny,” as her stare pierces his being.

“I—“ Klaus clears his throat and sits up. He appears proud in his declaration, “Yes it is, actually.”

Her whole expression falls until her eyes are as blank as her mind in the face of his amusement. “What?”

“You know the moment Stefan introduced me to that lot, all they could talk about was you.  _ Caroline used to do this _ and  _ Caroline would have done that.” _ A small smile becomes present on his lips. “I’m not so adept at making friends and so I may have offered to host gatherings, replicate your  _ famous _ game nights and buttered them up with gifts. All for them to like me as they do you.”

Her jaw is hanging slack and she studies him furiously for any falsities to no avail.  _ He’s _ now the one avoiding her as she unsteadily concludes, “You were jealous...of me?”

Klaus’ gaze finally lands on her and he grins. “It’s not hard to be. They were all so excited to hear of your return and I now see why.”

“Okay…” She swallows but then her nagging outrage pricks back up. “But what about New Years Eve? You  _ knew _ that was  _ my _ thing and even though I was here, you  _ still _ took it.”

Klaus begins to open his mouth and his eyes look pained as he eventually admits, “That may have been a miscalculation on my part.” He grimaces and reaches a hand over the back of his neck. “Seeing as your mother was unwell and Katherine had mentioned you were struggling, I offered to take the reins. I’m not much for party planning save for the size of my house and Rebekah, my little sister, helped me with most of it.”

Her lips part reflexively but her mind is still reeling, sorting through his confession. She grips at the edges of her sleeves and looks down as she says, “That’s...actually really thoughtful.”

“Unfortunately, I hadn’t realised how much it meant to you until you were shooting me daggers from across the room.” Klaus exhales a sigh and in a swift movement, he is swivelling to face her with a voice too earnest not to acknowledge, “I hadn’t meant to overstep, Caroline, really. How can I acquit myself?”

Humility doesn’t suit him but she feels a thrumming in her chest at his willingness to do so in her presence. She can’t bear to view him any longer so she shifts nervously. “Uh…” Her whole breath catches when she feels the weight of a long winter coat around her shoulders. She casts her gaze back to him and his eyes are curving.

“Are you warm enough?” he asks with a softness she hadn’t considered him capable of before this moment. Though his arrogance has previously caused her wants, her needs, to stir, it elicits nothing in contrast to the way her heart is pounding now.

“T-thank you,” she stutters out but balls her fists in frustration. She is  _ seriously _ too old to be harbouring crushes and fucking up simple replies.

Klaus gestures his hand out. “You were saying?”

Her eyes linger on it for a moment and she has to shake her head before she considers their use. With her own fists still tight and her shoulders set, she regains composure. She informs him with complete and utter seriousness, “Okay, first: I want my game nights back every other week.”

“Done.”

His immediate submission causes her to still but she persists. “And second: I want to meet your sister.” His brows furrow. He looks to be considering the implication and whether it’s in his favour. She quickly raises her palms. “The canapés were really good.”

His tongue pokes out to wet his lip, a grin finally forming on his face. “I’ll let her know, sweetheart.”

Klaus’ eyes are watching her more intently than before, coaxing her. The idea of it leaves her flustered so she huffs and presses a finger to his chest. “Look,” she begins firmly, “just because you’re not  _ totally _ the worst, doesn’t mean I’m suddenly going to be wooed by your charm.”

He has a wide, amused expression at the contact. He looks down at her finger and raises a brow. She attempts to pull back but his own fingers find her wrist and trace the inside. He’s gentle, slow, runs the calloused pads of his fingers along her veins. His voice is husky when he says, “I suppose I better try harder in that case.”

“I-I have one more thing!” Caroline chokes it out, lashes fluttering wildly. He lets her hand go willingly but he doesn’t expand the gap. She inhales through her nose for one long moment before managing to request with nonchalance, “Can you teach me how to play Risk? I’m sick of you and Damon winning all the time.”

Klaus presents a toothy smile and the sight of his dimples is enough to make her feel all sorts of giddy. He sighs, “Well, that one depends.”

“On?”

The way he glances at her lips isn’t lost on her, only further inciting the butterflies in her stomach. He tests the small boundary between them and lets his words fall from his mouth easily, “Whether you’re willing to spend more time with me. Dinner, perhaps?”

She takes her time to consider it, though the answer is screaming from the depths of her. Her teeth scrape her bottom to lessen her smile as she offers in return, “Takeout and you’re on.”

**Author's Note:**

> **COMMENTS ENCOURAGED AND APPRECIATED ******


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